Former Silver Fern Belinda Colling has turned her silky skills to helping the provinces rugby players be the best they can be.

Colling represented her country at netball 91 times from 1996 to 2006.

She was part of the 2003 world championship team and helped the Silver Ferns claim gold at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games 11 years ago. She retains a strong interest in the code and is part of the Sky Sport commentary team.

But earlier this year, Colling took on another role. She works part-time as a personal development manager for the Otago Rugby Football Union.

Colling could not be reached for comment but ORFU general manager Richard Kinley said she was making a big impact in the role.

"From my perspective, it is a role which adds tremendous value to the union," Kinley said.

"In the past, it has been a shared role between the Highlanders and Otago rugby. And Pete Sinclair, who was previously in the role until he retired, it was hard for him to have the time to spread across both organisations and work to a level that Belinda is now able to work at."

The position is funded through New Zealand Rugby and the New Zealand Rugby Players Association.

Colling works directly with the contracted players and the players on the pathway towards becoming professional rugby players.

She provides advice on a range of matters from professional and financial development to risk awareness.

"A big part of it is integrity education. So thats anti-corruption, anti-doping, supplement use, illicit drugs and prescription medication of course."

Colling also provides some education around mental wellbeing. But the core role is preparing players for a life as a professional rugby player.

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Ex-Silver Fern has role with ORFU - Otago Daily Times

Posted on September 7, 2017 | 11:08 a.m.

Organization promots professional development of its members

Santa Maria Womens Network Board of Directors. (Santa Maria Womens Network)

The new Board of Directors for the Santa Maria Womens Network was voted in by participating members at the group's July meeting.

Board members include: Gina Gluyas, Sandra Fuhring, Sandra Dickerson, Kristie Scott, Christie Benedetti, Erika Weber, Anica Julian, Stephanie Flores, Jodi Radford, Susie Duane, Cara Martinez, Lisa Ramos Murray, Virginia Burroughs and Cristina Martins Sinco.

Each took an oath to perform her duties to the best of her ability in hopes of growing the organization into one of the biggest and best Santa Maria networking groups in the area.

The Santa Maria Womens Network is designed to promote the professional and personal development of its members.

Membership includes men and women from the business and private sectors of the community who gather to exchange information, provide mutual support and assist in the overall advancement of women.

Monthly luncheons are held at the Santa Maria Country Club the first Wednesday of each month. Luncheon costs are $22 for members, $25 for guests. Meetings include networking activities or featured speakers.

Proceeds help pay for the annual Women of Excellence dinner, luncheon costs, and are distributed in scholarship funds and grants for local students, teachers, nonprofits and annual member grant.

To learn more, visit http://www.SMWN.net or attend any of the monthly meetings.

Anica Julian for Santa Maria Womens Network.

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Santa Maria Women's Network Introduces 2017-18 Board - Noozhawk

Your romantic partner can be a source of encouragement or discouragement and whether they uplift you or deflate you can determine what you achieve in life. New research also suggests that if you have a partner that is supportive, you are more likely to take advantage of opportunities for personal growth that come your way (Feeney et al. 2017). On the other hand, if your partner is not so supportive of you in your relationship, you are more likely to forgo opportunities for personal growth.

In this study, 163 married couples who had been married on average 9.68 years and romantically involved for an average of 12 years, were divided into two roles where one was given a decision making role and the other, unbeknown to either of them, was observed for their role in supporting their spouse during the decision-making process. The 'decision-maker' was given the choice to accept the potentially challenging opportunity of giving a speech and compete for a prize worth up to $200 or decline it in favour of the non-challenging opportunity of solving a very simple puzzle for no external reward.

The researchers found that those with a supportive spouse - as determined via questionnaires and secret cameras - were more likely to take advantage of the potentially challenging opportunity. The researchers also found that those who had supportive partners and had opted for the challenging task during the first phase of the study, also reported more personal growth, mental well-being and better relationship experiences six months later than those who had opted for the simple puzzle task.

Clearly, your choice of partner can influence your personal growth via the way in which he or she supports or hinders your decision making when it comes to important choices that will help you to develop yourself as a person, increase your skills, achieve goals and develop your self-image. As demonstrated by the research, and as one would expect, how you personally develop over time is integral to how happy you will feel and this will inevitably impact the quality of your marriage or partnership.

Applying This To Your Romantic Relationship

Is your partner a source of emotional support, do they help you to believe in yourself and encourage you to take on challenges that help you to develop as a human being or are they unsupportive, undermine your self-belief and directly or indirectly prevent your personal growth? You'll know the answer to this by reflecting on past words and behaviours they have used and watching out for their future communication and action.

If they consistently voice words of encouragement and help you in practical ways to pursue your goals, for example, through helping you to overcome any challenges themselves or taking on other responsibilities you have so that you have more time to pursue your new goals, they're a supporter. If they inconsistently voice words of encouragement or mostly use discouraging sentiments and do not often help you in practical ways, to pursue your goals (or only do so begrudgingly), they are not a supporter. If the latter is the case, you need to (a) find out what is motivating their unsupportive behaviour, (b) decide if there is anything you can do to change this to make them genuinely supportive and take action on this and then (c) decide whether you want the repercussions on your life, happiness and well-being of being with someone who is unwilling or incapable of supporting you.

What's The Motivation Behind The Behaviour?

Now if you want to understand yours or your partner's motives for encouraging/supporting or not encouraging/supporting one another in making decisions that lead to the other's personal development, here are some statements to consider (taken from the study) and see which list your/their motivations mostly fall under, the first or the second.

The first list states relatively selfish motives and the second list states relatively altruistic motives. The selfish motives may stem from low self-esteem or insecurity within the relationship or mere self-centredness. Either way, those issues need attention if you are to go on and have a healthy, happy, lasting relationship.

Remember, a supportive partner encourages personal growth which in turn leads to psychological well-being and a happier, healthier relationship. For your relationship to flourish, you both need to flourish.

Reference:Feeney, B. C., Van Vleet, M., Jakubiak, B. K., & Tomlinson, J. M. (2017). Predicting the Pursuit and Support of Challenging Life Opportunities. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 43 (8), 1-17. DOI: 10.1177/0146167217708575

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Partner Power: Supportive Relationships Linked To Personal Development - HuffPost UK

A Devon nursery is celebrating after Ofsted praise, saying the centre was good in three categories and outstanding in another.

Park Hill Nursery at Wilcombe Primary School was visited by Ofsted on June 28 with the findings released last month. The report says the personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding.

Children are extremely independent, the report said.

Staff provide highly effective support so children of all ages try to achieve new skills for themselves. For example, under supervision and skilful guidance, young children pour drinks for themselves and others. They learn exemplary hygiene practices, such as washing their hands after having their nappy changed. This prepares them extremely well for their next stages of self-care.

Staff involve older children very well to help set up activities and make choices about what they want to do and how. Staff work exceptionally well with parents to support children's personal development and well-being, such as potty training. Children relish being outdoors, enjoy exercise and gain an excellent awareness of their own safety. Staff use praise and encouragement highly effectively so children want to persevere and achieve.

The report also listed the nursery as good in effectiveness of leadership, quality of teaching, learning and assessment, and outcomes for children.

The report adds that the nursery offers good support and monitoring enable the strong management team to focus professional development for staff effectively. They help staff well to develop their teaching techniques, support individual children and provide them with good outcomes.

It says: For example, speech and language training has assisted staff in knowing how best to enhance their support so children make quicker progress.

Staff provide excellent support for children's physical and emotional well-being. Children have highly secure attachments in the nurturing environment. This underpins their very good confidence to explore the excellent resources and lead their play.

Staff consistently observe children's development and share accurate information with parents. They know the children well and plan a wide range of activities and experiences that motivates children to learn. All children make good progress from their starting points.

Managers are proactive in forging strong partnerships with parents, other providers and outside agencies. This ensures a consistent approach to children's learning and development.

Children learn to manage their behaviour and feelings extremely well. Staff are outstanding role models. For example, they help older children very well to listen to others and learn we all can have different opinions and to work together harmoniously.

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Ofsted praise Tiverton Nursery saying development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding - Devon Live

Setting goals, managing your time, being motivated and being able to focus are all self-management skills that great IT managers cultivate.

Despite this, skills classes for managers tend to focus around time management and organization. Here are some other self-management skills, and ways you, as a manager, can work on developing them:

Maintaining a focus on projects, the mainstay of IT, seems obvious for IT managers but it isn't easy.

How many times do you get pulled away from projects to sit in on all-day administrative steering committees, or to participate in other non-IT functions?

This is a difficult quandary to manage through, because it is critical for you to represent your organizations in company meetings, but you also have to keep your fingers on the pulse of projects.

The solution:

When you anticipate having full days of outside meetings, come in early and take an extra hour to touch base with your project leads.You don't want make a practice of having too many overcommitted days like this, but taking that extra hour in the morning has saved many IT managers the headache of having to straighten out major issues that arose in their absence, and that they could have prevented if they'd stayed in touch.

SEE: Time management tips for tech professionals (free PDF) (TechRepublic)

It's easy to become so preoccupied with budgeting and staffing that you maroon yourself in your office and don't show yourself to be an interactive team player to your staff.

IT managers can ill afford to do this when projects depend upon strong collaboration and teamworkand then they themselves fail to demonstrate those qualities.

The solution:

Get out from behind your desk for at least one hour per working day to mingle with staff and assess project work. If there is a project problem that requires collaboration and you can help, play a key collaborative role in the meeting. Also take the time to circulate among offices and cubicles to interact with staff and get to know them. The more you establish open communications and personal comfort levels with your staff, the more they will feel at ease and work together as a team.

SEE: Knowledge transfer: An underutilized approach to developing IT skills (Tech Pro Research)

Great managers are in demand for many other types of company functions. This is why it's important to make the supreme effort to keep your personal and professional lives in balance as much as possible.

It can be tough to do.

"I was literally going down the tubes," Phyllis Stewart Pires, who was heading up the global gender, diversity, and work-life office of a major tech company, told New York Magazine, in an article on work-life balance. "I was missing family events. My friends were calling me out on being AWOL. My husband was calling me out on not doing my share. It was almost like I was obsessed with this idea that people were counting on me to really make a difference in their workplace. I couldn't let them down."

SEE: How to create work-life balance in tech: 7 tips from the C-suite (TechRepublic)

The solution:

Set aside time for your family and friends in the same way that work will make its own demands on your timeand evaluate whether your work and personal life are staying in balance on a regular monthly basis.

Regular evaluation is important because it can be easy to lose this balance if you don't continuously work at keeping it.

Some years ago, I was in a management job that required me to spend 80% of my work time travelingl. I found that work was overshadowing my family time. I made a conscious decision to change jobs so that a better work-life balance could be achieved.

As a manager, you likely spend a lot of time assessing skills shortfalls in projects and in staffbut you should also keep an eye on your own skill development. .

One key project administrative skill that is developmental for many managers is capturing the time and cost of projects. In other cases, it can be beneficial to gain a better understanding of the end business so you can better align IT projects and results with business needs. If you come from a more technical disciplines, you may want to work on improving your communication skills. Whatever development areas you need to shore up, identify them and then make a plan to acquire the skills that you need.

At the end of the day, managers are hired to manage people and projects but those who excel as managers will tell you that to do either of these well, you first have to successfully manage yourselfand to take your own steps to get there.

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Image: iStock/stanciuc

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4 self-development tips for tech leaders - TechRepublic

Disheartened over the teacher-student disconnect that impeded learning in Indias mainstream public education system, a veteran educator named Elizabeth Mehta believed she had a solution: a model where teachers, teacher educators, and students learn from each other. In 2003, having developed seven women from Mumbais marginalized community into skilled, early childhood teachers, she and her husband Sunil Mehta launched an NGO called Muktangan, derived from Hindi, meaning free space.

Over the ensuing years, they launched seven municipal schools plus a teacher education center, and partnered with UNICEF to train government master educators who, in turn, trained more than 10,000 teachers in the state of Maharashtra.

As Muktangan scaled and the work of managing the NGO grew, the Mehtas decided to gradually transition out of day-to-day leadership. They recruited three separate executives in succession, in an attempt to find a new leader for Muktangan. For different reasons, all three amicably departed.

The Mehtas have now turned to building a senior team from within the organization and coaching its members to lead, as it is this team that shares Muktangans values and vision. They have identified a promising individual from the team, who will ultimately take the NGOs helm. If Muktangan is going to sustain and expand, it can no longer be led just by us, says Elizabeth Mehta. They just had to find the right leader.

The Mehtas story is not uncommon. Their conundrumhow to let go of an organization they brought to life and successfully transition to a new leaderextends across much of Indias social sector. Our research reveals that widespread doubts persist about whether NGOs and funders have done enough to develop the leaders who will replace the sectors first-generation pioneers.

In part, the sectors misgivings stem from a growing recognition that many Indian NGOs overly depend on a single leader, often the founder. A recent Bridgespan Group survey of approximately 250 NGOs (to the best of our knowledge, the first data-driven study of NGO leadership development in India) revealed that founder dominance runs deep. Founders are engaged with about 88 percent of NGOs launched more than 20 years ago and have remained at the helm (as founder-leaders) of more than a quarter of these organizations. And founders are involved in 99 percent of NGOs launched between 11 to 20 years ago. Yet these founder-leaders do not often think about the next generation; 50 percent of the surveyed NGOs do not have any leadership succession plans in place, and more than 70 percent of NGOs lack a succession plan even for their senior-most leader.

Diving in further, we probed a set of exemplar NGOs profiled in the Stanford Social Innovation Review article, Why Indian Nonprofits Are Experts at Scaling Up, which spotlights 20 organizations that have extended their reach to millions of constituents. With an average tenure of 22 years, founders currently leadin title or in practice65 percent of them.

Like the Mehtas, some of the pioneering social entrepreneurs who launched NGOs a decade or two ago are beginning to relinquish their spot at the peak of the organizations pyramid. Those who are contemplating a transition or have recently done so include: Madhu Dasa, who gave up the CEO post at Akshaya Patra, which he founded in June 2000; Dipak Basu, who conceived Anudip in 2005 and recently brought on an executive director to begin managing the NGO day to day; Matthew Spacie, who founded Magic Bus in 1999, attempted to bring in a successor for several years and recruited Jayant Rastogi as the CEO in 2016; and Vishal Talreja, who launched Dream a Dream with 15 others in 1999 and remains as chief executive, but restructured the organization in part so he could relinquish some of the decision-making.

Given the long tenures of some NGO founders, the pace of turnover will likely accelerate in the coming years. The next generation of leaders will soon have to fill the vacuum. But according to our survey and more than 50 follow-up interviews,1 they are ill-equipped to do so. More than half of the surveyed NGOs do not feel confident that anyone internally could effectively lead the organization in the absence of their senior-most leader.

Most leaders do not strive to develop leaders, says Megha Jain, an associate director at the strategic philanthropy foundation Dasra. Many acknowledge [the need] when pointed out, but do not think about it as a primary part of their job or prioritize it against other urgent, day-to-day deliverables.

Evidence that Indian NGOs are failing to put a premium on developing leaders includes:

Even basic systems for monitoring performance are rare among Indian NGOs. (Image by Alison Rayner)

The result: Indias NGOs lack a deep bench of homegrown leaders who can support the pioneer at the top and step up when that person leaves. The implications threaten these organizations ability to sustain and scale impact, at the very moment when stakeholders expectations of impact are climbing. Funding flows into the social sector are escalating, driven by the rise in individual philanthropy and corporate social responsibility contributions. Funders and NGOs themselves are demanding better and bigger results. If Indias NGOs are to make real strides toward ambitious goals such as providing equitable healthcare, ensuring high-quality education for children, or providing access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation, they will have to confront the unassailable fact that exceptional organizations rely on exceptional leadersand they need to grow more of them.

Fortunately, NGOs recognize they need to fill this talent gap, and take on the challenge of cultivating homegrown leaders who will support and succeed the pioneering founders. A full 97 percent of survey respondents say leadership development is vital to their organizations success, a belief echoed by funders. And some NGOs are already taking replicable steps to grow their in-house leadership talent. Their experiences, gleaned from interviews and secondary research, identify the building blocks for surmounting three critical barriers to developing leaders: underinvestment in a foundational culture, irregular leadership needs assessment, and anemic leadership development practices and systems.

Barrier 1: NGOs lack a foundational, leadership development culture and often do not have a shared understanding of what this should look like. Pushed in part by donors to focus almost exclusively on delivering programs, NGOs do not emphasize talent development and often shortchange themselves by under-investing in people. In our interviews, several NGO leaders struggled to articulate what leadership development means. They associated development primarily with training programs and sending leaders to conferences.

Building block: Starting at the top, NGOs need to build a culture where leadership development is everybodys business. It takes dedicated founder-leaders to define and grow a culture that nourishes the next generation. Those who commit to the challenge hold themselves accountable for their own and others development. The ideal is for people at every level to feel confident enough to champion learning, the first step to leading.

One such organization that has started down this path is Smile Foundation. Launched in 2002, Smile Foundation takes a holistic approach to driving social change by focusing on child education, family healthcare, employment enhancement, and womens empowerment. Today, the NGO reaches 400,000 children and their families in urban slums and villages in 25 Indian states.

The organizations Empowering Grassroots initiative aims in part to build leadership capacity in community-based organizations working in villages and slums. Building on the same theory, Smile Foundations model seeks to empower employees at every level by ensuring that decision-making is decentralized at the level of the regional director, manager, or team closest to the issue. Because decision-making is pushed to the front lines, more people can build skills through on-the-job experience. Leadership is not associated with position and power, says Amit Prakash, senior manager of research and program development. Anybody can play that role.

Even as Smile Foundation works to put more authority in the hands of employees through their daily work, it also cultivates additional learning opportunities to increase the odds that people grow and make better decisions. Leaders encourage senior managers and people with particular skill sets to informally mentor junior staffers and stakeholders. At the same time, the organization has implemented specific mechanisms to help people build skills together. For example, it participates in an initiative called Change the Game Academy, which combines online courses and face-to-face coaching on project management, communication, and local fundraising. And groups within Smile Foundation, such as the Project Approval Committee, give emerging leaders the opportunity to step outside their daily responsibilities and think about challenges confronting the entire organization.

Finally, Smile Foundation has rolled out a 2017-2018 work plan that seeks to build employees ability to innovate and lead. As part of that effort, it will put in place succession plans for current leaders, beginning with the chief operating officer, who hopes to identify a successor in the next three to five years. In this way, Smile Foundations executives begin to build pathways for next-generation leaders.

Barrier 2: NGOs do not assess their leadership needs on a regular basis, especially in the context of meeting future challenges and seizing opportunities. Fifty percent of NGOs surveyed said they do not formally assess their leadership needs on a regular basis, including 22 percent who do not assess their leadership needs at all (see below).

Few NGOs regularly assess their leadership needs, even larger NGOs. (Image by Alison Rayner)

Building block: NGOs need to map leadership development needs and adapt as the organization scales. Organizations get a higher return on leadership investments when they target the white space between their current base of skills and their future challenges. Founder-leaders (like other senior leaders) at high-performing NGOs define the organizations goals and then determine the skills required to achieve them. This allows them to meaningfully measure their leaders performance and future potential, and plan for any gaps. Importantly, they do not cling to the organizations leadership model; rather, they adapt it for the future.

Consider the Bangalore-based, Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship & Democracy, which seeks to improve the quality of citizenship and infrastructure in Indias cities. The NGO, which has 115 full-time employees, focuses on civic learning, civic participation, and city-systems reforms. Since the organization launched 16 years ago, its founders have constantly reassessed and reinvented its leadership structure to better confront emerging challenges. The NGOs leadership model has so far undergone three major iterations:

Seeking to backfill the gaps in Janaagrahas operational expertise, the founders recruited private-sector executives with deep experience in areas such as finance, IT, and marketing. They then installed a five-member management committee to steer the organization. The move pushed the second-line leaders to step up and take full responsibility for all of Janaagrahas operations, not just their individual portfolios. In that way, the organizations bench learned to lead by doing.

In 2016, the Ramanathans decided to augment the committee with a chief executive, but with one stipulation: The CEO had to come from within. It would take too much time for an external recruit to learn to navigate the complexities of managing Janaagrahas programs. Together, the senior leaders selected Srikanth Viswanathan, then-coordinator of advocacy and reforms, to shepherd Janaagraha into the future.

Janaagraha also engaged the consultancy Aon Hewitt in a year-long effort to help it become a learning organization (as outlined in Peter Senges book, The Fifth Discipline). The endeavor, led by the NGOs founders, involved using focus groups, case studies, and various assessment tools to examine Janaagrahas current leadership team and design for the future. Next, CEO Viswanathan wants to roll out an organization-wide performance competency framework developed with the help of a senior executive volunteer from the Tata group.

Barrier 3: NGOs lack processes, systems, and practices for developing leaders. While on-the-job stretch experiences can be powerful, founder-leaders do not systematically plan for them or ensure they meet development needs. Nor do they supplement these experiences with formal programs that build leadership knowledge and skills. Underlying causes for todays ad-hoc development practices include insufficient resources (both funding and tools), low awareness, and lack of prioritization.

Building block: NGOs need to provide opportunities tailored for high-potential talent that make leadership development an everyday habit. Founder-leaders who successfully build homegrown leaders do three things well: track and assess the performance and potential of second-line executives and managers, provide constructive feedback, and deliver learning opportunities customized to each individuals development needs. These organizations understand that leadership development works best when such tasks are woven into a formal process, which helps build a culture of continuous learning and improvement.

And yet, even though the vast majority of survey respondents say that leadership development is vital to their future success, more than half concede they are incapable of grooming the talent within their own ranksan extraordinary waste of human potential. A notable exception is an NGO called Make A Difference (MAD).

Launched in 2006, MAD mobilizes 4,250 young leaders to seek better outcomes for roughly 3,400 children annually in shelter homes that extend across 23 cities. MADs holistic range of interventions includes academic support, life skills, emotional health, and transition readiness.

MAD transitioned to a dual leadership model in 2014, when an external advisor, Rizwan Tayabali, joined founder Jithin Nedumala as co-CEO. Together, the CEOs set a tone of collaboration and learning for the organization. MADs second line is comprised of directors (akin to division heads) who serve as the core decision-making team and mentors for the next level, the regional managers. Directors are expected to think like chief executives, and regional managers are encouraged to think like directors. The logic: Get people to look beyond their functional roles and take on more responsibility for the organizations outcomes. For example, managing revenue streams is not just the finance teams problem. All of us, says Tayabali, are responsible for money in and money out.

MAD has created a suite of explicit, low cost practices to help directors grow leadership skills, including:

MAD is already seeing results such as more efficient decision-making and clearer alignment around goals. Thus, Tayabali and Nedumala are pushing leadership development practices further out into the organizationto regional and city managers, and even its sprawling network of young leaders.

For all of this leadership development innovation, neither Smile Foundation, Janaagraha, MAD nor any other NGO can fully empower its next line of leaders and transition from pioneering founders on its own. Funders have a critical role to play, especially around supporting grantees and building an ecosystem around leadership. However, fewer than 30 percent of NGOs report that funders are involved in their leadership-building efforts, and more than 50 percent of survey respondents report that their organizations have received zero funding to develop leaders over the past two years.

As Aparna Sanjay, executive director at Social Venture Partners India, concedes, Even large grantmakers insist on funding only projects. We all need to make more strategic investments for organization building such instances are very few and far between.

Funders focus on tangible outcomes is understandable; we all want to see social change investments benefit constituents. But when funders hold back on investing their influence and resources in general operating support for good overhead like leadership development, they undercut the very processes that can sustain and scale NGOs over the long term.

Funders can do far more to help founder-leaders at NGOs develop homegrown leaders. They can start by providing financial resources and expertise to help grantees build their leadership benches. That means paying what it takesideally through unrestricted funding or capacity-building investments tailored to grantees specific needsto build leadership capacity (see below). They can also add incentives to their grantmaking, by including specific requirements for developing leaders.

Money catalyzes efforts to build effective leaders; so too does knowledge. Funders also have a vital role to play in connecting NGOs to relevant expertise, whether though formal networks such as Social Venture Partners, or through direct referrals to external experts in areas such as leadership and fundraising.

And yet, it is not enough to focus solely on individual NGO founders. The challenges are too vast. There is a yawning need for funders to help build the entire ecosystem for leadership development in India, by investing in sector-wide supports and articulating a value proposition that spurs action.

Funders can invest in developing external training programs customized to the specific needs of senior Indian NGO leaders, and in particular founder-leaders, as opposed to the broader approach that many programs take. Funders can also develop tailored resources akin to the +Acumen initiative, launched in 2012, which features a range of free or low-cost, online courses covering such topics as adaptive leadership and storytelling.

Funders can do much more to tailor leadership investments to each NGOs needs. (Image by Alison Rayner)

Equally important, funders can make the case for developing homegrown leaders and communicate it across the sector. A critical first step is to build an evidence base that spotlights the return on leadership development investments. They can also communicate the necessityand the urgencyof cultivating the next generation.

In an essay published in BloombergQuint, Amit Chandra, a leading philanthropist and managing director of Bain Capital, delivers an unequivocal message: With [the increased] level of financial capital available [to NGOs], it is imperative that we invest in human capital that is capable of handling much larger flows [of finance] with greater impact and accountability If we apply the same approach that we have in building companies towards the development sector, I believe we can make much better progress in solving Indias social sector problems, because a lack of funding is no longer a problem.

NGOs and funders across India are increasingly recognizing that no founder, no matter how pioneering, can keep pace with the needs of a growing organization. Like the Mehtas, more and more pioneering founders are opening their eyes to the fact that as organizations scale, so does their complexity and the array of problems to solvea challenge for any solo leader to navigate. Yet in most organizations, this recognition has not translated into action.

Because NGOs and funders have not adequately addressed the challenges and constraints of cultivating leaders, the result is too often the same: A pioneering founder takes on most of the decision-making, without nurturing a strong second line. Thus, the next generation of NGO leaders is ill-prepared to amplify the sectors achievements and overcome the countrys challenges. That is not a formula for long-term success.

Moving forward, the sector will require two things: a shift in mind-set, so as to make leadership development a priority, and concerted effort by all stakeholders. Founder-leaders of NGOs like Smile Foundation, Janaagraha, and MAD offer practical, real-world approaches to developing the next generation of leaders from within. But their ideas and insights are starting points, not blueprints others should dogmatically follow. Ultimately, it is up to each organization and its funders to explore and test what works, and invent their own best practices for cultivating tomorrows leaders.

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NGO Leadership Development in India: From Pioneer-Founders to Homegrown Leaders - Stanford Social Innovation Review (subscription)

A University of Minnesota researcher is working to fight high dropout rates among Native American high school students by fostering personal development.

Minnesota recently ranked near the bottom nationally in high school graduation rates for Native American students. Around half of Native American high school students in Minnesota receive their diplomas, and even fewer attend post-secondary education.

In an attempt to alter this trend, Jean Echternacht, a University research associate with the College of Education and Human Development, developed Expanding the Circle,a high school curriculum based on her work with Native American students.

The curriculum is concerned with non-academic skills that are needed to make the transition from high school to post-secondary education, Echternacht said. These include decision-making, self-advocacy and goal setting; all skills Native kids may not be as likely to learn at home.

She said the curriculum grew out of a need to familiarize Native American students with education, personal development and professional preparation.

Echternacht gathered data from her work with Native American high school students on the Fond Du Lac Indian Reservation in the late '90s and several years of one-week summer programs.

The first edition was published in 2002. The second edition, which Echternacht co-authored, was released last month.

Both editions of the curriculum are divided into four sections: discovery, framework, choice and reflection each focused on aspects of cultural identity.

These activities make them ask themselves: Who am I as an Indian kid? What is important to me? What do I care about in my culture? Echternacht said.

Part of the curriculum involves students developing and sharing stories about themselves, Echternacht said, which is a common cultural tradition. The storytelling is a way for students to express what they have learned and what they want to do with their lives.

When they get up to speak, theyre terrified, said Echternacht. But their growth is always amazing.

Historical mistreatment of Native Americans is another aspect Echternacht factors into her research.

Theres a long history of trauma that affected [Native Americans], she said. It is still a part of Indian kids lives.

Anna Ross, director of Minneapolis Public Schools Indian Education, said past cultural mistreatment is an underlying cause of high dropout rates.

This is what happens when you have district and community members that are unaware of the history of Indian boarding schools and mistrust of education, Ross said. Historical trauma must be understood to solve these issues.

After learning of Echternachts new curriculum, Ross expressed interest in employing it in her department for high school students.

The new edition of Expanding the Circle will be presented at the National Indian Education Association Convention in early October.

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UMN researcher combats Native dropout rates - Minnesota Daily

Should you pony up for Tinder Gold? Only one way to find out.

There are big things happening in the world of charts. Taylor Swift's "Look What You Made Me Do" replaced "Despacito" as the #1 song on the Billboard 100, yes, but we're talking, of course, about Tinder becoming the highest-grossing app in the App Store. It's the first time it has held that spot, which is somewhat surprising and, frankly, alarming, considering it might well be this generation's best shot at continuing to propagate the human species.

The consensus seems to be that this is likely due to the rollout of Tinder's latest subscription level: Tinder Gold. The newly launched model costs $4.99 a month, on top of the $9.99 per month for Tinder Plus (you can't get Gold without first getting Plus, kind of like how you can't be Charizard without first being Charmeleon).

Wait, but why would I want Tinder Gold? Tinder Plus has, like, so many dope features.

And yes, it's true, Tinder Plus comes with a wide range of super exciting features, like: "Rewind," allowing you to correct an accidental left-swipe (aka a "no thanks" swipe), which does nothing to teach the app users lessons about missed connections, disappointment, and eternal regret; "Super Like" which lets someone know you really, really like them, which was done, long ago, with the words "I really like you," not a cool, blue "Super Like" star; and "Tinder Boost," which allows you to skip to the front of a potential match's feed so he/she sees you before any other maybe matesa move that, if done in a bar, would get a beer poured on your head.

But Tinder Gold? Well, Tinder Gold lets you see who has right-swiped (aka a "yes, please" swipe) on you before you even swipe. It curates a "Likes You" page that you can scroll through and choose from a list of pouty homegirls/boys, knowing that the object of your hand-picked affection, just like a piece of Caprese Salad off a passed hors-d'oeuvres tray, won't object. It's a sure match. No risk required! Insecurity begone! Bugger off, personal development! (Heed Robin Williams' sage advice in Good Will Hunting: "I think that's a super philosophy, Will, that way you can go through your entire life without ever having to really know anybody.")

We know you. You live in a world where every moment countswhere speed equals success, youre always on the go, and you cant let anything slow you down. Especially your Tinder feed.

Uh. You don't know me any more than my Tinder matches know me, which is not well, considering we're going to meet up to get to know one another. I don't mean to be all cranky old man about this. I've used Tinder. (Or at least my mom did, pretending to be me.) It's great that Tinder exists to link humans to humans to butts at a rate that has never before been possible, to create connections for those who might not otherwise make them. In the sense that this speeds up the rate at which matches become dates become connection, yes, it is a great development.

But, in another senseto be extremely alarmist about a TechCrunch blogthis $4.99 cocoon of external validation is the worst part of our society's Cult of Productivity brought to its logical extreme. Speed definitely does not equal success, not always. Warning to all you romantics out there (on Tinder?): some things take time and work. Bad sex does not. But a long-term relationship probably does.

Watch Now:

Jaime Lannister's Dating App Advice

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Tinder Gold ($14.98) Is for Horndogs Who Don't Mind Being Single Forever - GQ Magazine

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Monday, September 04, 2017

Saul Kaplan, GoLocalProv MINDSETTER

Saul Kaplan

If the goal is to develop markets start by developing talent. If you want to accomplish the most amazing things focus on developing the talent of amazing people. Mentoring and coaching are the most important leadership roles. Innovation starts by surrounding yourself and connecting with the best talent. If you want to attract the best talent develop a reputation as the best talent developer.

Put growth opportunities for others ahead of your own. Put growth opportunities for others ahead of your organization and your community. If you put developing talent first you will attract the best talent. If you consistently encourage and prepare talented individuals to grow into the best opportunities, wherever they are, you will become a talent magnet. People who want to get better will want to work for, with, and near you. If you prioritize talent development people will trust their talents to you.

When talented people move on to other great opportunities dont think of it as a hole you need to fill. Dont think of it as a transition inconvenience or a burden to take on additional tasks while filling a role. Be proud when people you mentor go on to new opportunities. High potential people will seek you out if you have a track record of celebrating and supporting the success of others. Talent development is self-fulfilling.

Too many managers think only about the work that needs to be done and how to keep people focused on the task at hand. When employees leave organizations its viewed as a management challenge. The difference between a manager and a leader is managers try to hold on to people assigned to them at all costs and leaders try to develop people assigned to them at all costs. Leaders encourage new personal and professional development opportunities for their best people even if they are outside of the organization. Leaders who build a reputation for talent development always attract the best people.

Its the same for community leadership. Communities should worry less about brain drain and worry more about building the capacity for talent development. Communities should worry less about company incentives for job creation and more about investments in education and workforce development. Differentiate your community by its commitment to talent development. Dont worry if talented people move on to explore opportunities in other communities. Encourage it. Stay focused on making your community the best it can be at helping its citizens be the best they can be. Talent development is the best economic development.

Success is defined not by accomplishments in the market but by the accomplishments of the people around you. If you attract the best people and focus on their personal development they will accomplish amazing things. There is nothing more personally rewarding than contributing to the talent development of others. If you want to innovate, start with talent development.

Saul Kaplan is the Founder and Chief Catalyst of theBusiness Innovation Factory (BIF).Saul shares innovation musings on his blog atIts Saul Connectedand on Twitter at@skap5.

Paul OReilly, Newport Restaurant Group

(2013 Ranking: NEW)

You may not know the name, but you have probably tasted the food. Paul O'Reilly oversees maybe the largest and most diversified restaurant group in Rhode Island. In a state loaded with great restaurateurs, O'Reillys collection is impressive: Castle Hill Inn; TRIO and 22 Bowens Wine Bar & Grille; the Mooring Seafood Kitchen & Bar; the seasonal Smokehouse Caf; the Boat House; Waterman Grille; Hemenways Seafood Grill & Oyster Bar; and seven Papa Razzi locations.

In 2014, his Newport Harbor Corp. sold nearly 4 acres on the waterfront known as the Newport Yachting Center for tens of millions.

Stephanie and Lincoln Chafee, Philanthropist and former Candidate for President

(2013 Ranking: 2)

No one fell more in the rankings over the past two years than the Chafees. The fall in influence was driven by an embarrassing failed campaign for the Presidency that started poorly with a focus on the metric system and went downhill from there.

Make no mistake about it, Lincoln Chafee could have been a significant force in Rhode Island and national politics at the conclusion of his term as Governor. He had close ties to the Obama White House and left the office far less scathed than former Governors like Ed DiPrete or Don Carcieri.

The Chafees stay in the rankings because of two factors. They are good at comebacks and the Chafees are wealthy, and Stephanie's side of the family (Danforths) are in the 1% of the 1%. Back in 2006, Roll Call magazine ranked Chafee as the 9th richest member of Congress.

The husband and wife team's combined wealth is estimated at between $150 million and $200 million.

Bready Family, former CEO Nortek/former CEO of Nabsys

(2013 Ranking: 10)

The Breadys - father Rick and son Barrett - are two of Rhode Islands most ambitious and accomplished entrepreneurs. The past couple of years have been a mixed bag for the Breadys, as Barretts Nabsys collapsed after raising upwards of of $40+ million. It should be noted that the younger Bready had left the firm before it shuttered.

The father, Richard, hosted a major fundraiser for President Barack Obama in 2014 at his nearly $20 million mansion, named Seafair.

Neil Steinberg, President, Rhode Island Foundation

(2013 Ranking: 21)

Under Steinberg, the Rhode Island Foundation has been reinvented from a sleepy charity to a dynamic innovator. Not every move has worked, but their has been no shortage of effort to spark and fund improvements to Rhode Islands quality of life and economy.

Today, the Foundation is deeply involved in the community narrative. Its peer organization the Champlin Foundation continues to operate in a cloak of secrecy.

The former Fleet banker was an unlikely innovator, but the Foundation is now sparking a dizzying array of initiatives. With assets pushing towards $800 million, the Foundation is the largest grant making organization in Rhode Island.

Ned Handy, President and Chief Operating Officer, Washington Trust

(2013 Ranking: NEW)

In 2013, it was a bit of a hiring coup d'tat when Joe MarcAurele recruited Handy to join Washington Trust as President and Chief Operating Officer. Previously, he had 18 years at Citizens Financial Group, and was President of Citizens Bank Rhode Island and Citizens Bank Connecticut.

His Connecticut connections have been part of Washington Trust's Connecticut growth.

The Brown University graduate serves on a range of boards including Rhode Island Foundation, Crossroads Rhode Island, Delta Dental of Rhode Island, Rhode Island Hospital Foundation, Providence Foundation, Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Providence Parks Conservancy and Salve Regina University.

Charlie Townsend, CEO of Aloha Partners II

(2013 Ranking: 48)

Ever tap into the wireless on an airplane? The provider is almost always Gogo and Townsend is on the Board of the company. Rhode Islands Townsend is everything wireless. He sold Aloha Partners for $2.5 billion.

Now, Townsend is the General Partner and CEO of Aloha Partners II. Aloha Partners is the 8th largest owner of wireless spectrum in the United States, and holds wireless licenses in 12 of the top 50 markets. He has served on the Board of Directors of CTIA The Wireless Association since 1988.

Townsend is a Virginia and Harvard MBA grad.

Myrth York, Political Influencer, Investor

(2013 Ranking: NEW)

She was arguably the King-maker in the last two Mayoral campaigns helping both Angel Taveras and Jorge Elorza win office, but in both cases once in office she has lost influence over each of them. The three-time Democratic nominee for Governor has been the titular head of the progressive wing of the Democratic party in RI for decades.

The former State Senator from the East Side went all in for both Gina Raimondo and Jorge Elorza and she won big.

Recently, she scored an appointment to the Beacon Insurance Board as a part of a Chafee-Raimondo agreement.

York has been the Chair of the Zoning Board during the tenure of Providence Mayor Angel Taveras. The changes to zoning on Federal Hill under the York leadership of the Zoning Board have been widely scrutinized.

York is seen as a mentor to Brett Smiley, the City of Providences Chief Operating Officer.

Mark Meiklejohn, President and CEO, BankRI

(2013 Ranking: NEW)

The bank that keeps going and growing was originally a premier regional business bank, and is now taking on all comers for consumer business.

Meiklejohn joined BankRI in January 2006 as the Director of Commercial Banking. He took over for Merrill Sherman and has changed the culture of the bank.

The former Fleet and Citizens executive has become a force in the community. He was recently the past President of the RI Bankers' Association and serves on the Boards of the United Way, Providence Chamber of Commerce, the RI Public Expenditure Council and as a Trustee for both the Providence Foundation and YMCA of Greater Providence.

Jonathan Savage, Shectman Halperin Savage LLP

(2013 Ranking: NEW)

Savage and his partners have built one of the largest firms in Rhode Island. As other corporate firms have merged, paired back and shifted focus to Boston,

Shechtman Halperin Savage have staffed up and filled the void. He has built his practice on serving as receiver or Special Master on many of the biggest busts in RI: Landmark Medical Center, The City of Central Falls, LJ Crane & Rigging, Nestor Traffic Systems, Inc., American Biophysics Corporation, and Marathon Construction, Inc.

Now, as Chair of the Airport Corporation he has focused on reversing the trend of smaller and smaller annual passenger counts by bringing in new airlines, expanding the airport and upping the marketing.

Merrill Sherman, former BankRI President and now Consultant

(2013 Ranking: 23)

Once rumored to run for Mayor of Providence and for Congress, Sherman has become a close confidant to Governor Gina Raimondo. Today, she is the Principal at Sherman Consulting and serves as special master on foreclosure cases.

She served on Raimondos transition team and shortly there after was appointed to Chair the Board for the multi-billion Clean Water Finance Agency.

Sherman sits on several boards including Brookline Bancorp, Inc.; Brookline Bank; Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Rhode Island and Rhode Island School of Design.

Dont be surprised to see Sherman make a run for elected office in the future.

Angus Davis, CEO and Founder of Swipely

(2013 Ranking: 46)

Davis may be Rhode Islands most successful and experienced technologist and he not even close to hitting 40 years-old.

He founded TellMe Networks -- and sold it to Microsoft for $800 million. Now, Swipely, is pilling up the accolades. The company founded in 2009, has raised $40.5M and landed over 3,000 customers.

Combined the company has "sales under management" of over $4 Billion

He has been tapped for most every tech award by Forbes and Fortune - a big win by Swipely would be a big win for Rhode Island.

Paul Choquette Jr., Vice Chair, Gilbane, Inc.

(2013 Ranking: 19)

Like family member Tom Gilbane #38, their is no decay in influence, but the engagement in Rhode Island has diminished. Choquette has served on most every major board including Lifespan, the Brown Corporation, Trinity, and the RI Economic Development Corporation. It is the latter of those appointments and the vote for 38 Studios loan guarantee that is the blemish.

He was a football star at Brown, and legal counsel to then-Governor John Chafee in the early 1960s.

But, make not mistake about it, the family's wealth and the company's influence has only increased, it's just their desire to play in the Rhode Island sandbox has decreased.

Tom Gilbane, Jr., CEO and Chairman, Gilbane, Inc.

(2013 Ranking: 33)

The Gilbane familys wealth and influence is growing, but the companys move to Boston has made the them more and more a regional and national player.

Gilbane and Paul Choquette have been two of the leaders in growing Gilbane from a strong regional construction force to a national firm over the past four decades.

In 2014, when GoLocal ranked the 9 wealthiest families in New England, the Gilbanes came in at #7 based on Forbes Data: With a net worth of $1.4 Billion, the family is ranked as the #147 wealthiest family in America.

Richard Baccari, Churchill and Banks

(2013 Ranking: NEW)

Baccari has had a tumultuous couple of years. The mega-developer has put together a massive collection of successful projects throughout the region, but not without great effort and some pain.

In 2014, he was cleared of Federal conspiracy and bribery charges relating to the North Providence Municipal corruption probe.

In early 2015, Baccari announced that he would be handing over the reins to the development company to his son, Richard, Jr.

The portfolio of retail, office, residential and commercial are many of the best known properties around the region. He continues to be a major force in Rhode Island.

Mark Pelson, PCI Private Equity

(2013 Ranking: 44)

Pelson is a quiet leader in business and politics. His relationship with the infrastructure of private equity in the state and his close relationship with Governor Gina Raimondo puts Pelson in a unique power position. He served on Raimondos transition team.

He has served as Chairman of Lambert's Cove Acquisition Corporation since its inception. He is a partner in several Providence Equity funds where he has served on numerous corporate boards.

Pelson has served on the Board of Overseers of Children's Hospital Boston and as Chairman of The Wolf School in East Providence.

Donald Sweitzer, Chairman, IGT Corporation (formerly GTECH)

(2013 Ranking: NEW)

There is the outside game and the inside game, and Sweitzer is very good at the inside game. In a company that has changed CEO a number of times, moved headquarters, been acquired by an international concern and rebranded, he continues to play his roll as top political adviser to the global gaming company.

Sweitzer is an ambassador for the Company when interacting with global customers, current and potential partners, and government officials, says his corporate bio. Additionally, Sweitzer advises IGT's CEO on government affairs and general business matters.

Prior to joining GTECH way back in 1998, he was a national Democratic consultant.

Michael Mahoney, CEO Boston Scientific

(2013 Ranking: 26)

Link:
Kaplan: Happy Labor Day - GoLocalProv

Let us consider one of the most famous personal transformations in all of literature. For a goodly number of years, Prince Hal took up company with rogues and wags, much to the disgrace of the crown. Then one day, upon deciding hed have enough of the life lessons taught by Fallstaff and the boys, he casts off childish things, assumes the throne, and lives to stiffen the sinews of a nation.

As you apply to college, its worth bearing in mind that you are not, unfortunately, Prince Hal. Nor, hopefully, are you Fallstaff. And yet, the two offer lessons for the eager applicant.

Fictional stories rely heavily on what your English teacher has surely referred to as "character development." You can pick any protagonist, from Hal to Huck Finn to Jane Eyre to just about anyone else short of Patrick Bateman, and they will change from the first chapter to the last. They might change their beliefs or their relationships. They might act differently. They might trade bad decisions for good or good for bad. The desire to see these changes play out keeps us engaged as readers.

The approach tends not to work so well in college essays.

Often, students approach essays saying, "I want to show..."

"....show how an experience changed me as a person."

"....reveal my character (or personality)"

".....show what I learned.

....what this experience taught me.

"....show how I've grown."

I understand these instincts. Learning and growing are great things. But I submit that they will not lead to strong college essays.

Character development works in fiction for two reasons (among others):

First, even if the narration is in first-person, we know that the author, be it Shakespeare, Twain, or whomever, isn't talking about him- or herself. This means that the character is being portrayed accurately (at least within the confines of the narrative). And it means that the narrator thinks the story is worth telling. It also means that the narrator is free to reveal unflattering aspects of the character. Huck humiliates Jim; Hal gets into all sorts of trouble.

Second, as we have already established, you are not the future King of England. We care about Prince Hal's transformation because we know that he's going to become king. He doesn't need to apply for the job. Everything he does, good and bad, is inherently important. In the case of non-regal characters, we care about their development because we find the stories inherently interesting -- not because we are evaluating them as human beings. Keep in mind, interesting doesnt mean flattering.

By contrast, a college essay that tries to celebrate personal change runs into two challenges:

First, since you are the author, You are not the most credible judge of your own character. Transformation essays result in claims like, .and I became a more generous/compassionate/humorous person. Unfortunately, that sounds like bragging (because it is). And you're making unsubstantiated assertions. Sure, you can say you became more compassionate, but that claim is only as meaningful as the proof you offer. And the proof really ought to speak for itself i.e. in the story that youre telling in the essay.

Second, the whole idea of personal development relies on your audience understanding both your prior state and your new state. That's a lot to pack into one essay. And the prior state is usually irrelevant. If you "used to" be a certain way and now you're not, why do we care about how you "used to" be? In fact, if you describe a prior state that was less admirable than your "new" state, readers will associate you with the prior state. Any time you say "I realized.." or even, "I learned..." you're implicitly highlighting what you didn't know. If you just aced Calculus BC, why tell us, In seventh grade I hated math?

Instead of focusing on the process of personal growth, I encourage applicants to focus on outcomes: Who are you today? What do you know today? What do you believe today? What can you do today? (On a related topic, please see my blog about childhood anecdotes.)

If you've had interesting experiences, you don't need to justify them by explaining how those experiences changed you -- especially if the experiences were recent and the changes uncertain. If you built a rocket and went to Mars, we don't care about how going to Mars changed you -- we care about how you pulled it off and what Mars was like.

Rather than tell us how you learned something, tell us what you know and what you you can do. Don't tell us how learning to cook a blueberry pie changed you. Tell us about the awesome pie you make and how you feel about sharing it with your family. Tell us how the pie changed other people.

If you made a moral realization, tell us the story that led to the realization and then state your convictions and analyze them. But dont imply that you were previously morally stunted.

If you want to share an opinion about or observation of the world, just share it. Don't tell us what you used to think. If you are concerned about, say, the cholera epidemic in Yemen, dont tell us that you previously had never heard of Yemen.

For all of these examples, dont worry about your personality. Your deeds and ideas reflect your personality (as does your writing style).

Everyone goes through changes, especially in high school. If applicants focus less on essays that reveal past developments and get excited about the present, something fantastic will happen. Colleges will get a far clearer picture not of the person you used to be but rather of the person you might become in the next four years. If they like that picture, youre one more step closer to getting in.

And if you are in line to the throne, you get want to mention that too.

See the rest here:
'Character Development' and the College Applicant - HuffPost