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AdvancED on Purpose

An educational blog with purposeful content.

    ADVANCED ON PURPOSE

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Defining Your Strengths as a Leader Series: #2 Defining Your Emotional Intelligence Strengths

11/4/2019

 
3 MIN READ
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I found a recommendation for “Emotional Intelligence 2” by Travis Bradberry & Jean Greaves. With the book came a new and enhanced online edition of “the world’s most popular emotional intelligence test,” The Emotional Intelligence Appraisal®.

The Emotional Intelligence Appraisal® provides you with a complete picture of your emotional intelligence. This includes an understanding of:

  • What emotional intelligence is
  • Your overall emotional intelligence score
  • Your current skill levels in the four areas that make up emotional intelligence
  • Specific recommendations for action you can take to improve your emotional intelligence
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This appraisal will ask you specific questions about your behavior. How you answer these questions is for your eyes only. A true reflection of your emotional intelligence skills depends on your willingness to accurately rate yourself. This requires a lot of thought into how you are in many situations, not just the ones you handle well. When you read each question, create a clear picture in your mind of how you are in different situations, then answer honestly how often you demonstrate the behavior in each question.
Define Your Emotional Intelligence Strengths Activity
Read about the Emotional Intelligence Appraisal - Me Edition. Consider if you would like to take this assessment (it costs less for the hardcover book than the online assessment!). If you decide to take it, put it on your calendar by blocking 2 hours and set a reminder for a few days before so that you do not reschedule it.

  1. On the day of, give yourself 30 minutes to unwind before taking the assessment (consider meditating!).
  2. It should take 30 minutes or less to complete once you start it.
  3. Give yourself 30 minutes after the assessment to do something energizing or relaxing.
  4. After your break, take 30 minutes to review the results and set a goal in the next 30 days to take action related to your results.

What if you decide not to take it? Reflect on a colleague or loved one in your life who could benefit from the activity and tell them about it!

The accompanying report recommends that I begin practicing on one specific area, Social Awareness, and offers three strategies to nurture my skills in this area:

  • Greet people by name. To tackle my tendency to withdraw in social situations.
  • Catch the mood of the room. To tackle my tendency to fail to spot the mood in the room.
  • Practice the art of listening. To tackle my tendency to miss out on other people’s non-verbal cues.
​
​My Take-aways on the Emotional Intelligence Appraisal
  1. The test by itself starts at $39.95 to take it online, or you can pay $34.99 for the hardcover book which includes a code to take the test. The test took less than 30 minutes to complete and has multiple sections.
  2. I agree with the results. Namely, that Self-Management is my top skill to capitalize on, and I’m aware that it is in large part because of my mindfulness practice and other routines. 
  3. Understanding that Social Awareness is a skill that could be a strength with a little improvement, I chose this for my first EQ Goal. In my own words, my EQ Goal is to remember people better by name, their intentions, their needs, and their mood when I meet them. I’ve set this as a goal to complete by April 2020, and the strategies I will practice are: Greet people by name, Don’t take notes at meetings, and Catch the mood of the room.
​
Now that you’ve reviewed one assessment, take a look at Assessment #3 the StrengthsFinder by Gallup (stay tuned!).
​


Related articles
  • Article 1: Defining Your Strengths as a Leader Series
  • Article 2: Defining Your Strengths as a Leader Series: #1 Defining Your Strengths with DiSC
  • Article 3: Defining Your Strengths as a Leader Series: #2 Defining Your Emotional Intelligence Strengths
  • Article 4: Defining Your Strengths as a Leader Series: #3 Ranking Your Strengths with Gallup StrengthsFinder (stay tuned!)
  • Article 5: Defining Your Strengths as a Leader Series: #2 Defining Your Personality Style with Myers-Briggs (stay tuned!)
​

About Author: Meredith "Mer" Curry​

Mer has always had a passion for education and helping historically underrepresented groups achieve access and success to higher opportunities. She has consulted nonprofits, educational institutions, and businesses in addition to her volunteerism and mentorship of students.
Learn more about Mer at www.meredithcurry.com.
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Defining Your Strengths as a Leader Series: #1 Defining Your Strengths with DiSC

11/1/2019

 
4 MIN READ
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This article is the 2nd in a series. Read the introduction article
"Defining Your Strengths as a Leader."

I took DiSC through the Tony Robbins website thanks to social justice comrade and career coach Anthony Le’s recommendation. I’ve participated in a Tony Robbins seminar as a teenager, so to take something as an adult almost 20 years later was exciting!

DiSC is an observable “needs-motivated” instrument based on the idea that emotions and behaviors are neither “good” nor “bad.” Rather, behaviors reveal the needs that motivate that behavior. Therefore, once we can accurately observe one’s actions, it is easier to “read” and anticipate their likely motivators and needs.

DiSC provides your ADAPTED style and NATURAL style, represented as graphs and word sketches. As an example, for People, the words that indicate my needs, fears, and what’s observable are:


  • Needs = Social relationships, friendly environment
  • Observable = Optimistic, trust others
  • Fears = ...being left out, loss of social approval

Define Your Strengths with DiSC Activity

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Read about the DiSC assessment on the Tony Robbins website.

Consider if you would like to take this assessment (it’s free!). 
If you decide to take it, put it on your calendar by blocking 2 hours and set a reminder for a few days before so that you do not reschedule it. 
​
  1. On the day of, give yourself 30 minutes to unwind before taking the assessment (consider meditating!).
  2. It should take 30 minutes or less to complete once you start it.
  3. Give yourself 30 minutes after the assessment to do something energizing or relaxing.
  4. After your break, take 30 minutes to review the results and set a goal in the next 30 days to take action related to your results.
What if you decide not to take it? Reflect on a colleague or loved one in your life who could benefit from the activity and tell them about it!

My Behavior Style is Assessor. Key behavioral insights that stand out to me that I will need to keep in mind to strengthen my relationships are:

  • Emotional characteristic = Strong desire to look good to others.
  • How others are valued = By their ability to trigger action and activities.
  • Cations = Can overstep bounds of authority and be overly clever.
  • Fears = Looking bad in the eyes of other people and/or not being viewed as a winner.

The insights I get to take home with me and contemplate as I move forward are lists of “Help Them Tos” adapted for different situations such as At Work, In Social Settings, and In Learning Environments.
Lastly, you get a summary of your motivation which tags seven (7) Motivators as Very Low to Very High. My breakdown was:

  • Very High = Altruistic
  • High = Individualistic, Power, Theoretical
  • Very Low = Aesthetic, Economic, Regulatory

Knowing that Altruistic motivation is my highest, key universal assets that stand out to me that I will need to keep in mind are:

  • You will appreciate kind and good-hearted people and may avoid the self-interested.
  • You are always cognizant of the underdog and will go to great lengths to meet their needs.
  • You will feel compelled to assist the unfortunate.
  • Your high service ethic allows you to put others first and yourself last.​
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​My Take-aways on DiSC
  1. It is free and took less than 30 minutes to complete. It has 2 sections of questions and one optional section for demographics. 
  2. I agree with the results. Namely, that I “have the ability to take the seed of an idea and make it develop into a successful solution.” In fact, that is a strength and passion that needs to be front and center in my position. When this level of creativity and entrepreneurism was not central to my role, I felt out of my element, uninspired, and I didn’t trust myself as much to do a great job the first time. Now with my consulting firm and the projects I choose to work on, I get to spend all of my time discussing ideas and solutions to awaken the strengths in organizations and in people (and myself!). 
  3. I was surprised by some results. The DiSC word sketches indicated that two fears I have are “being taken advantage of/lack of control” and “sudden change/loss of stability and security.” I never thought of lack of control as similar to being taken advantage of, but in an office setting, or any collaborative project with other people, I should be more aware of this. The loss of stability and security surprised me as a fear worth naming but if it comes through in my dealings with people, I need to be sure that I am clear on what is within my control and what is not. 

Now that you’ve reviewed one assessment, take a look at Assessment #2 on Emotional Intelligence.
​

Related articles
  • Article 1: Defining Your Strengths as a Leader Series
  • Article 2: Defining Your Strengths as a Leader Series: #1 Defining Your Strengths with DiSC
  • Article 3: Defining Your Strengths as a Leader Series: #2 Defining Your Emotional Intelligence Strengths
  • Article 4: Defining Your Strengths as a Leader Series: #3 Ranking Your Strengths with Gallup StrengthsFinder (stay tuned!)
  • Article 5: Defining Your Strengths as a Leader Series: #2 Defining Your Personality Style with Myers-Briggs (stay tuned!)
​

About Author: Meredith "Mer" Curry

​Mer has always had a passion for education and helping historically underrepresented groups achieve access and success to higher opportunities. She has consulted nonprofits, educational institutions, and businesses in addition to her volunteerism and mentorship of students.
Learn more about Mer at www.meredithcurry.com.
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Defining Your Strengths as a Leader

10/28/2019

 
4 MIN READ
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This article is the 1st in a series on "Breaking Knowledge Barriers".

This article is the 1st in a series on "Defining Your Strengths as a Leader"

​I have read my fair share of what some might term “self-help” books. I like to think of them as “self-awaken” books. The “help” part in “self-help” alludes to something being broken that needs fixing. What I appreciate about the books I’ve read since I was little, as well as today, is that self-awaken books point to the strengths, potential, and inner wisdom deep inside of us, already alive and ready, yet often untapped and tucked away hidden from sight. This wisdom manifests as skills and intuition, and I’m keen on developing my ability to tap this wisdom. Self-evaluation is critical for me as a leader, as a manager of teams and projects, and as a woman of color.

The Center for Creative Leadership reminds us in their report 7 Emerging Trends for Transformative Leaders that some managers may struggle with interpersonal relationships, affecting their ability to build and lead teams or adapt to change, which can lead to career derailment. To avoid this, “organizations must design programs that develop [managers’] self-awareness, political savviness, communication skills, and ability to influence others...skills that are essential to effectively heading a team.” 
In addition to reading self-awaken books (see my Bookcase for recommendations!) I’ve taken many different personal, career, and intelligence tests and assessments. Examples of assessments that executives and leaders should take are:


  • The Clifton StrengthsFinder
  • Emotional intelligence assessments
  • DiSC
  • ​Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
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As a professional, whether you are an employee of a company or an entrepreneur, understanding your strengths and skill sets is key to building the confidence, resourcefulness, and grit to adapt to any situation. As human beings who have way more going on than just our jobs, you can bet that your personal, educational, emotional, societal, cultural, economical, and religious identities are often at play when you negotiate professional situations.

​Most of us do not know how these identities manifest themselves in our decisions, risk tolerance, and self-reliance. Most of us have comrades and loved ones we can turn to for advice and feedback, but our hearing is often screening and interpreting with the bias of that relationship and all of its power dynamics. So why take a personality assessment? Because we often don’t know the questions to ask. And even if we did, would we really answer honestly, free of unconscious bias, shame, guilt, regret, or fear?
Define Your Strengths as a Leader Activity
Take out a pad of post-its, ideally in two different colors (e.g. green and yellow). Find a blank wall or space where you can lay out two sets of post-its and set aside a total of one hour.
​
  1. Consider your Strengths and select one color of post-its, for example yellow. Take 5 minutes to write one strength on each yellow post-it, for example: detail-oriented, no ego, organized, I enjoy working people and they enjoy working with me.
  2. Consider your Challenges and use the other color of post-its, for example green. Take 5 minutes to write one challenge on each green post-it, for example: perfectionism, over-thinking, always looking at the clock, second-guessing myself, judgmental.
  3. After the 10 minutes of writing, take a 30-minute break like go for a walk or watch a show or listen to several songs of your favorite music.
  4. Then come back to your two lists, review them, and give yourself 10 minutes to reflect and write down ONE goal for the next 7 days on either a Strength that you would like to deepen or a Challenge that you want to work on.

We know from the Council of National Psychological Associations for the Advancement of Ethnic Minority Interests “Test bias is a primary issue of selecting and using testing and assessment instruments with racial/ethnic minority groups. Past research has shown that tests can produce misleading results with culturally different groups in terms of slope and intercept (or unfairness) bias.” Thus, if you are a person of color, you will need an assessment that will address and consider this intersection of your identity, as well as many others, if you are to feel good about doing anything at all with the results.
​

I’d like to give you a review of a few assessments because, 1) I have taken them in more than one sitting or format, and 2) I have heard from and worked with others who have taken one or a combination of assessments as part of developing themselves professionally at work. I have written a separate blog post for each assessment in this "Defining Your Strengths as a Leader" series. Click here to go to Assessment #1 on DiSC.

Related articles
  • Article 1: Defining Your Strengths as a Leader Series
  • Article 2: Defining Your Strengths as a Leader Series: #1 Defining Your Strengths with DiSC
  • Article 3: Defining Your Strengths as a Leader Series: #2 Defining Your Emotional Intelligence Strengths
  • Article 4: Defining Your Strengths as a Leader Series: #3 Ranking Your Strengths with Gallup StrengthsFinder (stay tuned!)
  • Article 5: Defining Your Strengths as a Leader Series: #2 Defining Your Personality Style with Myers-Briggs (stay tuned!)

About Author: Meredith "Mer" Curry

Mer has always had a passion for education and helping historically underrepresented groups achieve access and success to higher opportunities. She has consulted nonprofits, educational institutions, and businesses in addition to her volunteerism and mentorship of students.
Learn more about Mer at www.meredithcurry.com.
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Breaking Knowledge Barriers Series: Strategy #4 Finish Strong. Start Fresh.

10/7/2019

 
4 MIN READ
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This article is the 5th and final one in a series. Read the introduction article:
​ "Breaking Knowledge Barriers Series: Womxn of Color ​in the Workplace."

​If you Acknowledge who you are, Accept the strengths and challenges in front of you, and develop a risk tolerance to Adapt to situations as they come, you’re in a pretty good place. But let’s go back to the first question that I had to ask myself - What Can I Give Up? This is why I say, Finish Strong. Finish whatever is holding you back with strength. This might be just what you need to move forward on something else. Be intentional about finishing whatever it is, and focus on ending it with a lesson to validate the effort. ​
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And then, Start Fresh. Whatever it is you do next, let it be unencumbered by prior failures, even if they are now Strong Finishes. Start with fresh eyes. Start with fresh enthusiasm. Start with a fresh you. Start the next adventure fresh without any shame holding you back. Two goals as you Start Fresh are to learn your pace and method to Break Things Down and develop the inner strength, self-reliance, and community to Back Yourself Up.​

Break Things Down like a developer by figuring out the Owner, Size, and Priority of the work, question, or goal. If you want to let go of excel
spreadsheets and trade them in for Quickbooks Self-Employed or something: 
  • Who is the right person to lead that work (it may not have to be you!)? 
  • How much work is that really going to take (size small or medium or large)? 
  • How priority is this over everything else that’s on the plate of the person that will own this (due this week or next quarter)?

​Once you know the owner, size, and the priority of this project you want to START, you can rumble with vulnerability as the great Brené Brown advises in Dare to Lead. You can let go of the need for this project to look and feel a certain way if you’re going to delegate it. You can let go of the anxiety of thinking about it right now if you know it’s not going to come up again for several weeks. I bet you will also realize that you have mad delegation and prioritization skills as well!
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​Lastly, Back Yourself Up by building a strong bench of people that you can rely on to support you. If you can set up a formal advisory or committee, awesome. If you can find a mentor, wonderful. If you can join a community like a local commission or network like the Women’s Networking Alliance or the Asian Pacific American Leadership Institute, way to step it up! The most important part is getting positive reinforcement and honest guidance from outside of yourself, while also building your inner monologue of positive vibes and affirmations. And whenever possible, build a diverse bench. It should have people that look like you and people that don’t look like you. It should have people that will agree with you on some things and people who will disagree with you on some things. Stack your bench with people who will look out for your best interest, which is not the same as Yes-people.
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AdvancED Activity
Here are just a few of my favorite affirmations I’ve been sharing lately. Want some more? Contact me, I’ve got dozens!! Find the two or three quotes you like most and either 1) put them on your wall near your work space, 2) put them in your email signature so you can share with the world, 3) share the quote with someone else, or 4) any combination of these options.
  • "Owning our story can be hard but not nearly as difficult as spending our lives running from it." ~ Brené Brown
  • "Everyone has inside of him a piece of good news. The good news is that you don't know how great you can be, how much you can love, what you can accomplish, and what your potential is." ~ Anne Frank
  • "I say if I'm beautiful. I say if I'm strong. You will not determine my story--I will." ~ Amy Schumer
  • "The question isn't who's going to let me; it's who's going to stop me." ~ Ayn Rand
  • "You can't be that kid standing at the top of the waterslide, overthinking it. You have to go down the chute." ~ Tina Fey
  • "Great people do things before they're ready. They do things before they know they can do it." ~ Amy Poehler
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You now have all of the strategies you need to begin to tackle any knowledge barriers or general challenges you may have face as a woman in business, education, law, medicine, etc. You already have the will and the grit to move forward; you only need to take the first step. Know that I believe in you and that I am taking those steps with you.

Sincerely,

Mer


​Related articles
  • Article 1: Breaking Knowledge Barriers Series: Womxn of Color in the Workplace.
  • Article 2: Breaking Knowledge Barriers Series: Strategy #1 Practice Mindfulness.
  • Article 3: Breaking Knowledge Barriers Series: Strategy #2 Roll Call! Identify Yourself.
  • Article 4: Breaking Knowledge Barriers Series: Strategy #3 Acknowledge. Accept. Adapt.
  • Article 5: Breaking Knowledge Barriers Series: Strategy #4 Finish Strong. Start Fresh.

About Author: Meredith "Mer" Curry

Mer has always had a passion for education and helping historically underrepresented groups achieve access and success to higher opportunities. She has consulted nonprofits, educational institutions, and businesses in addition to her volunteerism and mentorship of students.
Learn more about Mer at www.meredithcurry.com.
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Breaking Knowledge Barriers Series: Strategy #2 Roll Call! Identify Yourself.

9/27/2019

 
2 MIN READ
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This article is the 3rd in a series. Read the introduction article:
​ "Breaking Knowledge Barriers Series: Womxn of Color ​in the Workplace."

​No matter how old we are, how successful we are, how much we’ve achieved, who loves us and who is loved by us, there are challenges that we still face as individuals. I believe that our experiences and identities can tell us a lot about WHY.
Identity Intersections explore how issues of race, sexual orientation, and mental health intersect with one another (Psychology Today). We are unique in how we identify with our identities, and how those intersect to create our experience, value systems, and personalities. 


It is healthy and critical to acknowledge and accept your intersections as contributing factors to your success as well as challenges. It is valuable and worth your energy to assess how these play out in your decision making, management, and principles. Often, we don’t even realize that our intersections bias our perceptions not just of others, but ourselves and what we are capable of or deserving of. The two images below offer a few combinations of identities that you can reflect on
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​AdvancED Activity
Step 1: Pick one or two of the identities in the images below.
​
Step 2: Ask yourself, how do you identify, and how does that manifest in your personal and professional life? 

​
​For example, consider how your Education, Ability, Age, Language, Occupation, Religion, Family Status, or Geographic Location impact how you perceive your challenges, search for and ask for help, and reach or stretch beyond what you know and are willing to do every day.
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Photo Credits:
Image 1 - https://www.clydefitchreport.com/2015/02/tulpa-and-anneme-to-encanta-shawn-harris/
Image 2 - https://jaxsonglobalhealth.wordpress.com/2014/03/21/intersectionality-perspective/
​
Please understand that the outcomes of this strategy will vary depending on the person as we are all different. It is important to take what you need and let go of what you do not. Throughout your life journey, your Identities Map may look a little different given that you will change. You may have to re-identify yourself and that is just fine because change is inevitable. This next strategy in this series will help you embrace it.

Related articles
  • Article 1: Breaking Knowledge Barriers Series: Womxn of Color in the Workplace.
  • Article 2: Breaking Knowledge Barriers Series: Strategy #1 Practice Mindfulness.
  • Article 3: Breaking Knowledge Barriers Series: Strategy #2 Roll Call! Identify Yourself.
  • Article 4: Breaking Knowledge Barriers Series: Strategy #3 Acknowledge. Accept. Adapt.
  • Article 5: Breaking Knowledge Barriers Series: Strategy #4 Finish Strong. Start Fresh.

About Author: Meredith "Mer" Curry

Mer has always had a passion for education and helping historically underrepresented groups achieve access and success to higher opportunities. She has consulted nonprofits, educational institutions, and businesses in addition to her volunteerism and mentorship of students.
Learn more about Mer at www.meredithcurry.com.
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Breaking Knowledge Barriers Series: Strategy #1 Practice Mindfulness

9/26/2019

 
2 MIN READ
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This article is the 2nd in a series. Read the introduction article:
"Breaking Knowledge Barriers Series: Womxn of Color ​in the Workplace."
The Journal of Positive Psychology published a study in June showing that 15 minutes of meditation has the same effects as a full day of vacation.
​
One step into a mindfulness or meditation practice is to practice breathing exercises. Mindful breathing is an incredible, free, readily accessible tool to help you recall the strategies I share with you throughout my Blog.. Next time you’re facing your shame, take some deep breaths. When you have a small win to celebrate, take some deep breaths. Appreciate who you are. Take a precious moment for yourself. 

Practice Diaphragmatic Breathing aka Belly Breathing or Abdominal Breathing. As part of meditation practice, breathing exercises are known to help manage the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, depression and anxiety, sleeplessness, and more. Breathing leads to a CALM MIND, and with a calm mind, you are more equipped to respond with authenticity, armed with your natural strengths and intuition. ​
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​Additional Benefits:
​
  • Lowers your heart rate
  • Lowers your stress levels
  • Reduces your blood pressure
  • Helps you cope with the symptoms of PTSD
  • Lowers chances of injury
Lastly, another benefit of breathing and lowering your heart rate and stress levels, is so that you can activate KINDNESS more. More for yourself. More for others. More for the world. 

Consider a free app like UCLA Mindful by the UCLA Bedari Kindness Institute (recently highlighted in LA Times!).
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​AdvancED Breathing Activity
Please take three deep breaths now to reground and feel gratitude for taking care of your own needs today. Inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth three times.
"Your calm mind is the ultimate weapon against your challenges." ~ Bryant McGill
Now that you have learned how to relax and be mindful, you will have enough energy to pursue Strategy #2 on Identifying Yourself. Trust, it is never easy to look at "the [womxn] in the mirror."

Related articles
  • Article 1: Breaking Knowledge Barriers Series: Womxn of Color in the Workplace.
  • Article 2: Breaking Knowledge Barriers Series: Strategy #1 Practice Mindfulness.
  • Article 3: Breaking Knowledge Barriers Series: Strategy #2 Roll Call! Identify Yourself.
  • Article 4: Breaking Knowledge Barriers Series: Strategy #3 Acknowledge. Accept. Adapt.
  • Article 5: Breaking Knowledge Barriers Series: Strategy #4 Finish Strong. Start Fresh.
​

About Author: Meredith "Mer" Curry

Mer has always had a passion for education and helping historically underrepresented groups achieve access and success to higher opportunities. She has consulted nonprofits, educational institutions, and businesses in addition to her volunteerism and mentorship of students.
Learn more about Mer at www.meredithcurry.com.
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Growth Mindset and SMART Goals for Professionals

9/9/2019

 
5 MIN READ
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I have been in education for almost two decades and there are a few buzzwords that have stuck with me. One of those phrases is “growth mindset.” Yes it’s catchy, but it is also chock full of hope and reason and strategy. This became really catchy when Carol Dweck’s research first came out in 2016. I further developed my understanding of what it meant to develop a growth mindset by working with non-profit organizations to incorporate the research into lesson plans, or find online tools that could assess for or help to teach elements of the theme to K-12 and college students. 
​

Today, I write about how a growth mindset can be applied as adults. I write to claim that “An old dog can’t learn new tricks” is absolute rubbish and written by those who didn’t want to have to learn any new tricks. I believe growth mindset is a tool each and every one of us can have in our toolkit. I also believe that learning how to adapt SMART Goals into our lives as professionals can help us reinforce our growth mindset from everyday situations to those challenges that come straight out of left field.
​

​What is a growth mindset?

I recommend TransformingEducation.org’s Toolkit as the resource to learn more about Growth Mindset. Though the content is written around students, the information is true about people of any age. 

As adults, we hear ourselves everyday, saying to ourselves or out loud, “I just can’t…” or “I never…” or “I’ve never been good at…” or “I don’t ever want to…” This is considered a fixed mindset. One in which we are inflexible, where we believe we cannot change. This can be fueled by shame, self-doubt, our image of our weaknesses and strengths, and any number of factors. 

On the other hand, if you have a growth mindset, you believe you have what it takes to change. You understand that if you put in the work, persevere, practice, and push through even when it gets really difficult, you can find a way.
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You say to yourself, "This is tough but if I keep trying, I can get better at…” or “I’ve never done this before, but I’ve learned lots of new things, so I believe I can learn…”
​

Do you see/read how the self-talk is different? Recognize that the fixed mindset sounds awfully familiar, much like the negative self-talk we have about so many other things. Like what we should wear, where we can travel, who we can befriend or date, what job we can apply for, and what we deserve. These thoughts are choices. But sometimes these choices have become so redundant that they’ve become rote, meaning you don’t even think about the choice anymore. This is where SMART Goals comes in.
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What is a SMART Goal?

SMART Goals are taught to students as a way to help them define and focus their goals for their life. As an adult and entrepreneur, I see SMART Goals as a way to shake the fiction out of our goal-setting (fiction being bias, self-judgment, shame, thoughts, etc.). Instead we can use SMART Goals to get to the facts, the brass tax, about this goal that we’ve communicated to the universe and what we really mean and intend by it. Below is an example of how I used SMART goals to figure out how to better prioritize a minute task that was taking up so many hours of my day.
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  • ​S = Specific. When you write down your goal it should be as specific as possible which will force you to be clear. Say it in one sentence.
  • M = Measurable. What will you measure to know you are successful? How will you quantify your objective?
  • A = Achievable. State one or more ways that you will make this goal realistic. Who can you bring in or what tools and tactics can you use to achieve this goal?
  • R = Relevant. Note that here, I depart from the traditional SMART Goal definition which is “R for Realistic.” I think as adults, we’re more likely to talk about goals in terms of pragmatic realism, as opposed to being too dreamy. Since we want to think outside of the box, instead I ask us to think about how this goal is relevant to our profession or life. 
  • ​T = Timing. Goals need deadlines for real umph. So set a due date, or a range of days/weeks/months in order to accomplish this goal.
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AdvancED Activity     WHAT CAN I GIVE UP?
As leaders and entrepreneurs, our daily lives can quickly become overwhelmed with tasks. This two-step activity is meant to encourage you to think about everything you need to do in order to decide what you are willing to give up. Then, you will use SMART Goals to take action toward prioritization, organization, and achievement of your goals. Click here to download the What Can I Give Up Activity sheets (PDF).

​We are grown-ups with a lot of growing up left to do
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I believe that as adults we still have much to learn and practice when it comes to growth mindset and building mental toughness and emotional intelligence. If you run a business, team, department, or project, you need to be able to triage and communicate goals. In your own life you may need to set one or two SMART Goals a week around things at work or at home to help you get more organized, bring more clarity, or simply create more space in your life for the things you love.

I encourage us all to continuously work on developing our growth mindset, to use SMART Goals as one tool in our toolkit in our everyday routines, and to share our goals with our circles of influence so that support can come to you in the form of intentions and good juju to come.

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Want support thinking through your goals? 

​Let’s talk about the goals you want to set for your life, your team, or your business! Schedule your free 20-minute consultation now.
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About Author: Meredith "Mer" Curry

Mer has always had a passion for education and helping historically underrepresented groups achieve access and success to higher opportunities. She has consulted nonprofits, educational institutions, and businesses in addition to her volunteerism and mentorship of students.
Learn more about Mer at www.meredithcurry.com.

Photo Credits: 

https://www.transformingeducation.org/growth-mindset-toolkit/

Sources: 
  • Growth Mindset Toolkit
https://www.transformingeducation.org/growth-mindset-toolkit/
  • LeaderKit_Sample.pdf
https://www.mindsetworks.com/FileCenter/LeaderKit_Sample.pdf
  • Growth mindset for adult learners, OCTOBER 11, 2017
http://www.lifteducation.com/growth-mindset-for-adult-learners/
  • Shift to a Growth Mindset With These 8 Powerful Strategies
https://www.inc.com/angelina-zimmerman/the-8-tremendous-ways-for-developing-a-growth-mindset.html
  • Is Mindset Culture Shift Possible for Adults? June 15, 2016
http://blog.mindsetworks.com/entry/is-mindset-culture-shift-possible-for-adults

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Webinar Recap: California Privacy and How It Affects You

8/26/2019

 
6 MIN READ
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Thanks to an invitation from FormAssembly, the #1 Enterprise Web Form Platform, I presented my insights and best practices on a data privacy webinar on August 21, 2019. Watch the recording and read FormAssembly’s blog here!
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The webinar focused on The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) as well as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) which will go into effect on January 1, 2020. As FormAssembly’s guest presenter, I spoke to the implications for nonprofit and educational organizations who may not have people or processes in place to specifically track data privacy and how it impacts organizations. The following are some key insights that I shared on the webinar. Whether you are a customer whose data is getting collected, or you work for a company that collects data, this is for you!

Tackle CCPA in Three (3) Steps
The CCPA is chock full of guidance for organizations, however it may be difficult to know how to get started. I suggest the following three steps:
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1. First, analyze the data you currently collect and store, and how it is currently being used and accessed. For many education and non-profit organizations specifically, documentation like data dictionaries, information governance policies, and records retention schedules are uncommon and/or out-of-date. These can be extremely helpful to develop as part of your assessment of how CCPA impacts your organization. Examples of questions you may ask yourself are:

  • The CCPA works on an opt-out basis while under the GDPR, consent requires a positive opt-in. What basis does your organization use to collect data from internal and external stakeholders?
  • Do you have a data dictionary? Even at the highest level, consider documenting the types of data collected, the sources, the intended uses, and how the data is stored, archived, and scrubbed/deleted over time.
  • Can stakeholders get a hold of their data from you? The CCPA highlights that people have a right to obtain and delete, or opt out of the collection, of their data.
  • Is there data you are collecting that you aren’t even thinking about? The CCPA has broadened the definition of consumer information to include things like internet activity, biometric data, and browser cookie data. Look at your policies around the use of data from Google Analytics and similar tools.
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​2. Second, develop short and long term plans to ensure your organization is in compliance with CCPA. Your analysis will likely bring up ideas and issues to solve right away or in the future. An example of an approach could look like:
  • In the short term, considering bringing in or creating a Data Governance Committee responsible for understanding CCPA, GDPR, and other relevant legislation at a high level.
  • Engage this committee by reviewing whatever analysis was done in the first step. The analysis may not include a data dictionary, but it should include a full list of the tools that will need to inform a future data dictionary. For AdvancED Consulting, that would include tools like Salesforce, FormAssembly, and Google Suite and Analytics.
  • Have this committee identify the top three priorities for January 2020. For this to be effective, this committee should have authority given by your leadership to make these decisions.
  • Document any other priorities for the 2020 calendar year that can be reprioritized by the committee at a later time.
  • Create action plans for your top three priorities. Review with the committee for their insights on timeline, roles, capacity, and messaging to internal and external constituents.
  • Finally, activate your Short Term plans!
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3. Third, implement your short term plans and have a plan for the long term. After implementation, evaluate those short term plans and use that experience to inform the long term plans. This should include keeping track of updates to CCPA over time, as well as other relevant legislation. Some additional recommendations:
  • Set benchmarks throughout to make sure you are on target for January 2020. Re-evaluate what is priority if needed. 
    • ​​For example, perhaps one long term priority is to develop a staff training around CCPA and how it applies to your teams. However, your team is now planning to hire a significant group of new staff in Q4 2019 and Q1 2020. You may re-evaluate this as one of the new top priorities in order to have all new staff champion CCPA when it comes into effect.
  • Once you meet your benchmarks for January 2020, re-evaluate the long-term plans and generate new short term plans for each quarter of the new year.
  • Develop journey maps, such as student journeys and customer journeys, about your enhancements. What did it look like before you implemented your changes, and what does it look like now that you are in compliance with CCPA? What are the benefits to your teams? To your stakeholders?
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Questions and Answers
The webinar Q&A gave me the opportunity to drill deeper into the recommendations I made above around short term and long term planning. Find them below!


Q: What does it mean to develop a data dictionary?
A: A Data Dictionary is a document (Word, Excel, Google sheets, etc.) that summarizes the major data elements, their expected formats, and their sources for all data that your organization collects from California stakeholders. Common components include: Source, element/value name, description, data type, field size or character limit, last update date, example value, and validation. Once you have a data dictionary in place, it can be used as a:
  • Reference document for internal staff to answer questions and troubleshoot around data privacy concerns.
  • Reference document to define processes for scrubbing/deletion if requested.

Q: What other short and long term plans might we develop?
A: There are two more plans that I think make sense to develop in the short or long term depending on your organization’s capacity:
  • Data breach response plan to include scenarios involving unauthorized or improper use, collection, or sharing of data.
  • Data mapping policies and procedures to guarantee that any disclosures made in the privacy policy are correct and accurate.

​Q: Who else do we need to involve?
A: Be strategic about who you engage internally and externally so that you have a comprehensive lens around data privacy, without having too many cooks in the kitchen hindering progress. Examples of strategic partners include:
  • Your legal team (internal or external) to review and revise website privacy policies, master service agreements, and employee privacy notices.
  • Internal staff who will be trained and held responsible for responding to privacy inquiries and complaints. This should be explicit in job descriptions or performance review documents.
  • Vendors and service providers that will need to review and execute updated Master Service Agreements.

Q: If we could only do one thing right now, what might it be?
AdvancED opinions and recommendations in articles should not be considered as legal advice. That said, my recommendation on how to best start this process includes:
  • Identify a data governance champion or lead, empowered with authority to move this forward. Once identified, the role, responsibilities, expectations, and timeline should be communicated internally.
  • Charge her/him with defining a way forward, and be clear on how that plan sets the foundation for January 1, 2020 and beyond.
  • This person may be involved in data governance already, involved in tracking legislation and writing contracts, and/or responsible for reporting or analyzing data.

Do you have additional recommendations, or questions, regarding data privacy in California? Contact me!

About Meredith "Mer" Curry

​Mer has always had a passion for education and helping historically underrepresented groups achieve access and success to higher opportunities. She has consulted nonprofits, educational institutions, and businesses in addition to her volunteerism and mentorship of students.
Learn more about Mer at www.meredithcurry.com.


Sources:
  • FormAssembly Blog: https://www.formassembly.com/blog/webinar-recap-data-privacy-trends-regulations-best-practices/
  • https://www.caprivacy.org/
  • https://fpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/GDPR_CCPA_Comparison-Guide.pdf
  • https://www.dataprotectionreport.com/2019/02/gdpr-ccpa-and-beyond-changes-in-data-privacy-laws-and-enforcement-risks-to-monitor-in-2019/
  • https://econsultancy.com/california-consumer-privacy-act-ccpa-changed-data-privacy-united-states/
  • https://www.bakerlaw.com/USConsumerPrivacyandtheCCPA
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