Comments for SteveBellNow http://stevebellnow.com Tue, 03 Jan 2012 22:21:00 +0000 hourly 1 Comment on One Year Later by Steve Bell http://stevebellnow.com/2012/01/03/one-year-later/comment-page-1/#comment-1108 Steve Bell Tue, 03 Jan 2012 22:21:00 +0000 http://stevebellnow.com/?p=2595#comment-1108 Susan - Thanks for asking. I am active in a couple of areas. At a local elementary school, Haley, I am on the site council, take care of the schools Facebook page and do volunteering in the classroom and judging for science and spelling bee. I also spend time helping out Valley of the Sun, Big Brothers, Big Sisters as a volunteer in helping with orientation of bigs. Lastly, I help with marketing a 503c non-profit STO (Az4Education) - helping with social media, blogging and getting donations to help students with scholarship opportunities to attend private schools. I have interviewed with Encore Fellowship here in Phoenix, still waiting to see if I can connect with a social sector fellowship (Next round of fellowships will be starting soon). I really look forward to volunteering when it comes to giving back and helping the future. So, whatever the opportunity is (and it covers that criteria) - I am in! Susan – Thanks for asking. I am active in a couple of areas. At a local elementary school, Haley, I am on the site council, take care of the schools Facebook page and do volunteering in the classroom and judging for science and spelling bee. I also spend time helping out Valley of the Sun, Big Brothers, Big Sisters as a volunteer in helping with orientation of bigs. Lastly, I help with marketing a 503c non-profit STO (Az4Education) – helping with social media, blogging and getting donations to help students with scholarship opportunities to attend private schools. I have interviewed with Encore Fellowship here in Phoenix, still waiting to see if I can connect with a social sector fellowship (Next round of fellowships will be starting soon).

I really look forward to volunteering when it comes to giving back and helping the future. So, whatever the opportunity is (and it covers that criteria) – I am in!

]]> Comment on One Year Later by itsinsider http://stevebellnow.com/2012/01/03/one-year-later/comment-page-1/#comment-1107 itsinsider Tue, 03 Jan 2012 21:14:00 +0000 http://stevebellnow.com/?p=2595#comment-1107 Hi Steve.  What kind of volunteer work are you doing?   Hi Steve.  What kind of volunteer work are you doing?  

]]> Comment on Top Ten List of My Most Hated Mgmt Terms by Steve Bell http://stevebellnow.com/2011/12/30/top-ten-list-of-my-most-hated-mgmt-terms/comment-page-1/#comment-1106 Steve Bell Sat, 31 Dec 2011 05:04:00 +0000 http://stevebellnow.com/?p=2591#comment-1106 Alan - thanks for commenting.  I have imagines in my head when these are said (and I have used them) that make me laugh. Or better yet, I have imagines of what is literally being said. Not good! You are completely right on transparency. It should not have to be said. My memory of those that use transparency is.. I want "you" to be transparent, but I will try (and not very well, I may add).  Alan – thanks for commenting. 

I have imagines in my head when these are said (and I have used them) that make me laugh. Or better yet, I have imagines of what is literally being said. Not good!

You are completely right on transparency. It should not have to be said. My memory of those that use transparency is.. I want “you” to be transparent, but I will try (and not very well, I may add). 

]]> Comment on Top Ten List of My Most Hated Mgmt Terms by Anonymous http://stevebellnow.com/2011/12/30/top-ten-list-of-my-most-hated-mgmt-terms/comment-page-1/#comment-1105 Anonymous Sat, 31 Dec 2011 04:35:00 +0000 http://stevebellnow.com/?p=2591#comment-1105 Cultural vocabulary is good for rapid communication.  When such words no longer directly connect to action, they become buzz-words of no meaning, zombies of their former goodness. Transparency “Can I have that in a sentence please?”: Anyone can easily see what is happening without special effort and without permission barriers. Transparency is one of the most valuable assest of a work culture and one of the hardest to establish when starting from a fear culture. Cultural vocabulary is good for rapid communication.  When such words no longer directly connect to action, they become buzz-words of no meaning, zombies of their former goodness.

Transparency “Can I have that in a sentence please?”: Anyone can easily see what is happening without special effort and without permission barriers.

Transparency is one of the most valuable assest of a work culture and one of the hardest to establish when starting from a fear culture.

]]> Comment on So You Can Judge Talent? by Steve Bell http://stevebellnow.com/2011/12/19/so-you-can-judge-talent/comment-page-1/#comment-1104 Steve Bell Mon, 19 Dec 2011 18:31:00 +0000 http://stevebellnow.com/?p=2563#comment-1104 John - thanks for commenting. When you talk about annual performance appraisals, I agree. When judging talent, we make assumptions and sometimes like to insure that those assumptions come true. If I was to pencil in those folks that I thought were going to have exceptional years (at the beginning), I can safely say that looking at the complete body of work - I was wrong more than right. You have to look at the complete picture. Interesting that you bring up W. L. Gore (the manager-less work teams). I have read the materials and have been very interested on the progress. I do believe that is the team is being led by a leader (manager title or not) - success and team performance is always better. My opinion is some folks are "managers" that frankly should not be. They fail, which causes companies to go manager-less. Select leaders, please... I once brought in a 360 focal feedback system, back in the days of self-directed work teams in the late 80's. This was around for about 2 years, before it was pulled. I like the concept and how it can help - but it takes a corporate culture that really is open and not hierarchical in nature.  John – thanks for commenting.

When you talk about annual performance appraisals, I agree. When judging talent, we make assumptions and sometimes like to insure that those assumptions come true. If I was to pencil in those folks that I thought were going to have exceptional years (at the beginning), I can safely say that looking at the complete body of work – I was wrong more than right. You have to look at the complete picture.

Interesting that you bring up W. L. Gore (the manager-less work teams). I have read the materials and have been very interested on the progress. I do believe that is the team is being led by a leader (manager title or not) – success and team performance is always better. My opinion is some folks are “managers” that frankly should not be. They fail, which causes companies to go manager-less. Select leaders, please…

I once brought in a 360 focal feedback system, back in the days of self-directed work teams in the late 80′s. This was around for about 2 years, before it was pulled. I like the concept and how it can help – but it takes a corporate culture that really is open and not hierarchical in nature. 

]]>