fun

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First, I had super fun getting my Parente HRG website up and running this week.  Creating new graphics, playing around with layouts, and learning new skills were all invigorating ways to invest my time.

Next, even with all the extra sneezing with the unwelcome entrance of ongoing tree pollen, it's been wonderful having the windows wide-open for much of this week.  There's no more welcoming sound to start the day than the chirping of all our neighborhood birds!

Finally, it was amazing to have so many of you jump on board after my request on Facebook to have you access the website.  Testing of the statistics app went very well, and it was really neat to see we had visitors from the UK, the Philippines, and Hong Kong in addition to the US.  My heartfelt gratitude to you all!

A special shout-out goes to Michael Boo, drum corps scribbler extraordinaire and curator of wonderful artwork he generously shares with us using social media.  With his permission, I'm including one of his more popular pieces here, framed for the occasion.  A tribute to his Bricks of the Month will need to wait until a later entry.

MikeBoo image 2014-0607Thanks for listening.  See you next week!

Interested in my coaching, consulting, or creative services?  Contact me at parentehrg AT gmail.com.

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Jane A. G. Kise's 12th Leadership Lens, Balancing Limits with Opportunities, takes on so much meaning when I think back to my marching days.  One thing in particular, though, sticks in my head and won't leave.

As mentioned in earlier posts, we had a great sense of loyalty to one another, and to the vision of being champions.  Particularly in the Saints Color Guard, the more adept we became at handling our equipment, the more we experimented on our own.

During breaks in rehearsal, or even before or after, it was common for members of different sections to "play around" with their flags, rifles, or sabres to come up with "work" - the movement and handling of equipment to match the music and a particular part of marching drill.  Discovering different movements or equipment positions was fun and exciting for us.  Execution of those movements required quite a bit of practice to perfect the work to a level high enough to include in competition.

At first, the limits on what would eventually make it into the competitive drill were set by our instructors.  Having a better sense of what it would take to achieve championship status was the wisdom they brought to the process.  By our final winter season, though, we, the marching members, had achieved a strong enough sense of balance between the opportunities for creative movements, and the limits imposed by the judging system, for us to choreograph much of the equipment work.

Did we succeed?  You bet!

A moment in the drill when simplicity spoke more strongly than equipment work.

Saints Color Guard, in our earlier days.
Interested in how my consulting services can help you
improve focus on leadership skills?  Contact me at parentehrg AT gmail.com. 

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First, sometimes it's a simple amount of effort that helps to clear away the results of the storm (not to mention the different perspective beforehand):

Before and after I cleaned the moisture from the screen in my office window.

Second, when I hold myself accountable, I get LOTS more done than when I don't.

Finally, I really do have fun when I work!

Thanks for listening.  See you Monday.