Good Morning! Your Curated Morning (#155) for September 5, 2024 is Here!
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The Main Thing: Recently, I wrote a series of social media posts (mostly on LinkedIn) about six acts of kindness. I was inspired by Ryan Holiday’s book Right Thing, Right Now. In one chapter, he writes about the virtue of being kind, which struck a chord with me. I have to admit, I haven't always been kind. So I thought about and wrote the series. I have compiled the whole series into one post, which is this week's blog post. As a review, here are the six “be kind” suggestions:
Read the full blog post here. Focus on Leadership Busting myths about women in the workplace by Alexis Krivkovich and Lareina Yee | The McKinsey Podcast—Alexis Krivkovich, a McKinsey partner with a focus on women's leadership in the workplace, shares practical insights. In the podcast interview, which you can choose to listen to or read, Krivkovich explains how data and structural information can be practically used by women leaders to make their case. She dispels four persistent myths about women's leadership in the workplace, empowering listeners with actionable knowledge. Krikovich states, “I think that too often we allow things to be explained away. But by pushing and challenging organizations to really look at the situation and say, “OK, you passed me over, and you said it’s because I didn’t have X. How do I get X? What’s the opportunity that you suggest I pursue to get X? Did the person you choose have it? How did they get it? How do I get the opportunity that you’ve helped create for them?” I think we have to ask those tough questions and keep the pressure on” The ability of a leader to function effectively requires training cognitive skills. Older leaders must work hard to maintain robust brain health. This article points out the value of learning difficult things, even as we age. Learning a musical instrument as an older adult is especially helpful. Learning music improves brain plasticity, which is how your brain reacts to changes like a stroke or another traumatic brain injury. More robust brain plasticity can be the difference between recovery and further trauma. If you have tried learning an instrument or a foreign language as an adult, you know how difficult it is. Your hard work today will positively impact your long-term cognitive health as you age. I like to read, and everyone should read more. Strong creativity skills are also necessary in today's work world. This article explores several books the author believes will give the reader strong creativity skills and make you a more innovative leader. I have not read any of these books, and I am familiar with only two authors (Drucker and Catmull). However, I recommend you give them a try. Other Articles of Interest this week: Technology -- How the nation’s largest school system keeps students safe by Chris Teale | Route Fifty -- By combining physical and digital safety, the New York City schools are preparing their systems for ever-evolving technologies. Decentralized power generation is similarly advantageous for our military, elevating our tactical capabilities to better match modern needs. A Blog Post You Should Read: The author of this piece is Dalida Boling, chief executive officer of the Business Incubator Center in Grand Junction, Colorado. Right from the beginning, she describes how the incentive game competing for economic development projects is fraught with problems and disappointment. She says this strategy is “leaving communities with broken promises and empty storefronts.” Her solution? The same one I believe in-- developing an internal program to encourage entrepreneurship, small business development, and business retention. She goes on to say: “The secret sauce to sustainable growth isn’t just about jobs, it’s about making communities places where people want to live. Quality of life matters more than ever. Research shows regions offering a high quality of life attract talent, foster job growth and give rise to new businesses. This is especially true in small towns and micropolitan areas where community spirit, local culture and natural beauty play a huge role in attracting and retaining skilled workers.” Support this FREE newsletter and buy me a cup of coffee.
Overheard : What made being alive almost worthwhile for me…was all th saints I met, who could be anywhere. By saints, I mean people who behaved decently in a strikingly indecent society. Kurt Vonnegut Listen, Eat, Drink, WATCH, Read, View We all think we know what we are doing. I knew a person who believed they were in complete control of all of their thinking and decision-making. They believed that nothing external could pierce the bubble of their brain and impact their decisions. Yet, they were extremely unaware of their surroundings because they were so intensely focused on a few things. This made them successful in their chosen field but really bad at relationships and easily manipulated. These psychological fallacies are explored in this video titled 21 Mind Traps: The Ultimate Guide to Your Most Common Thinking Errors. Some of the traps the video explores we have heard of before, such as cognitive dissonance, which is the ability to believe two opposing ideas at the same time. Or the Halo Effect, which we have all experienced when first falling in love with a significant other. LISTEN, Eat, Drink, Watch, Read, View Over the past several months, I have worked with Kaycee Bunch, CEcD, in a leadership group. Kaycee is a professional and knowledgeable economic developer who works in a consultancy practice at Thomas P Miller and Associates (TPMA). There, she channels her passion for bringing equitable economic development to the communities she serves. Kaycee hosts ‘The Leading Ladies of Economic Development’ podcast. There, she highlights leading female economic development. Here are some key podcast episodes you may want to listen to:
I asked Kaycee to respond to a few questions about her work and focus: What compelled you to start your podcast, and what audience do you want to reach out to? -- In November 2023, after researching women's empowerment groups in economic development, I noticed a gap in support for women and other minorities. A major disadvantage of being in this industry is that it has historically been a male-dominated profession. Over the years, the industry has seen a slight shift in the demographics of ED practitioners, but it’s never enough. IEDC’s 2019 Salary Survey found that the average annual base salary for women in economic development is $83,100, compared to $105,200 for men. As women in this field, we are still battling stereotypes, sexism, work-life balance, and equitable pay to our male colleagues. As a 29-year-old mother of two, I want to make a difference for women in our industry. Hundreds of female and minority ED practitioners across the country are doing extraordinary things in their communities but are, for some reason, hidden within our industry. Even after researching resources for women in economic development and how to thrive as a woman in this industry, I was severely disappointed to discover that little to nothing was available. There is no platform for women and other minorities to talk about the realities, successes, and challenges of economic development through this lens. I realized there is a desperate need for a safe place to celebrate, encourage, and connect with other women who lead economic development. LLED is that space. Who do you work for and what do you specialize in? -- TPMA is for community champions who are loyal to improving local and regional economic outcomes. TPMA provides professional consulting services and delivers transparent insights into the complete workforce, education, and economic development ecosystem, allowing them to move forward together. Over the 34 years of TPMA's history, we have been about to secure over 331 million dollars in funding for our partners and currently work in over 30 states across the US. As a Senior Consultant at TPMA, I serve in the capacities of: Economic Development Strategy + Implementation, Championing ED Application, and BRE Program Evaluation + Development Anything else you would want the readers to know? If you are a female practitioner or know of a female practitioner who wants to highlight your work or a success story, please contact me or fill out the form linked below! The Leading Ladies of Economic Development - Be a LLED Guest (llofed.com) I love connecting with other practitioners, so I am happy to connect on LinkedIn as well Kaycee Gibson Bunch, MA, CEcD | LinkedIn Thanks Kaycee! NEW Feature! Each week in Curated Morning, I would like to highlight a project, plan, or accomplishment an economic developer, community leader, or anyone has taken to improve their community. Are you one of those people? Please complete this form to submit your ideas or project to Curated Morning. We all love to read about successful people and ideas and see our names in print. So, do you have a project we should consider?
Thanks for Reading If you liked this email, pay it forward. Share it with someone you think might benefit. Did someone share with you? Sign up here. For previous editions, click here. Whenever you’re ready, there are several ways I can help you: 1. Economic Development: If you are looking to supercharge your economic development organization, I can help by strategizing and developing a roadmap to success. Set up a time to talk to me here. 2. Culture Change; Is your organization changing? Would you like to create an asset out of your culture? Do you know how to assess team strengths? Let me help you. I'm a certified culture change practitioner. Set up a time to talk to me here. 3. The Green Economy; The world is changing. Some of it is positive, and some of the change is not. Let me help you develop green economy opportunities for your community. Set up some time to talk about here. 4. Mentoring Programs: Circles of Seven (C7) is a proven and award-winning model for mentoring. Whether it is for business or your community leadership program, I can develop a mentoring program for you. Let's talk about your situation. Set up a time here. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding any articles in this newsletter please feel free to contact me through email at martin@martinkarlconsulting.com. You can review my services and offerings at www.martinkarlconsulting.com |