Confession of a Changemaker

I sat in a room in our city hall recently surrounded by a roomful of people just like me. I didn’t know when I got there we were all cut from the same cloth. And the realization that we all share the same traits didn’t actually hit me till I left the room and had a little time to contemplate the question asked by the city manager at the end of the hour and half talk given by Peter Kageyama, author of “For the Love of Cities”.

City officials invited Peter to town to talk about engaging citizen changemakers. I saw the invite posted on social media and I signed up right away. I was impressed to see the city hosting such an event and bringing Peter Kageyama to our community.

Listening to Peter talk about what some of the people he’s met across the country love about their cities was enlightening. It was when he asked the question of “where’s the fun in your town” and showed examples of how adding elements of fun to a community had prompted a sense of “surprise and delight,” thus leading to an emotional attachment — that the crowd sitting in that city hall room really began to become engaged.

Generating emotional attachments doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. Kageyama proved this as he shared example after example of communities that have achieved wow-factor results by sometimes using things as simple as a garden hose or a swing placed in random spots throughout town.

Two of the biggest take aways from Kageyama’s talk: “Don’t over think solutions and aim low to help people see their community differently and remember what they love about the place they live.”

Mt. Pleasant City Manager Kathie Grinzinger concluded the presentation by asking the crowd “what’s next?”

“It’s not the government’s job to create our city. We want to get out of the way. So, what’s next to get folks to fall in love with our commuity?” – asked Grinzinger.

The what’s next question is what lead me to the realization that I’m just like everyone else sitting in that room listening to Kageyama talk about ways to turn our community into a place where people don’t simply just live, but love.

Addressing “what’s next” is the first step towards further developing this love affair between people and our community. This requires a confession from everyone in that room. This confession doesn’t need a priest or trip to church. What’s necessary is the acknowledgement of an important character trait shared between us (and among many others throughout our community, I contend).

Peter Kageyama came to Mt. Pleasant to engage citizen changemakers. The first step in doing so is getting the citizens in town who are changemakers to stand up, raise your hand and admit to being a one.

This confession is the critical next step in moving our community forward as a place people love as it removes the barriers, stops those with passion from waiting for permission to take action and forces those in the way of change to step aside. 

… I’ll go first in confessing … I am a citizen CHANGEMAKER!

If you attended the recent Engaging Citizen Changemakers session and experienced a sense of excitement and passion hearing Kageyama talk you are a changemaker, too. I encourage you to join me in confessing.

If you were not able to attend the gathering at Mt. Pleasant City Hall, but love our community and eager to share your zeal, then raise your hand and join in the confession, too.

The more citizen changemakers the better. Just imagine the “surprise and delight” we can generate by stepping up and coming together as a group.

26 things I know for sure … in this half of life

Celebrating a milestone birthday recently has prompted me to think about perspective and priorities. What really matters is the question that’s been rattling around in my head after blowing out the inferno of candles last month. I was introduced to the term “true north” recently during a business meeting and have contemplated how this concept applies to personal life.

As I look ahead to the next half of life and try to make sense of what matters the most, I figured jotting down a collection of things I’ve learned in my first five decades might be a valuable exercise. I’ve seen some lists including the number of things people have learned tied to the years they’re celebrating … admittedly, I’m not sure I could conjure up a list that long and I wouldn’t dare bore you with such a lengthy list. So here are 26 things I know for sure in this half of my life …

1. There are two simple “Golden Rules” – both are easy to live by … #1. Treat others as you would like to be treated. #2. Do the right thing.
2. People are most important – always! Life is about the people in our lives, those who have been a part of our lives & those we’ve yet to meet.
3. Family comes first. No exceptions — ever!
4. Time is priceless. Be selective in how you allocate it.
5. Honesty is always the right answer.
6. Common sense is a valuable commodity … & not all that common.
7. There is a big difference between bossing and leading. One involves the wagging of a finger, the other raising others up. People thrive with leadership, not bossing.
8. As a parent, if ever in doubt of what you’ve done of value … hug your kids.
9. Thank you are two simple, yet underused words. Say them often.
10. Grace is not just a dinnertime prayer, nor the little girl down the street. I strive to be grace-filled.
11. Confidence is a choice. Choose to have it and not allow others to steal it.
12. Happiness is a choice. Not always the easiest choice, but worth it.
13. You get what you give — refer to Golden Rule #1 on this one.
14. Trust is a two-way street.
15. Skin grows thicker with age and maturity.
16. Good people bring out the good in people.
17. A glass of red wine a day is good for you … but more is better.
18. Exercise is good medicine. More doses needed.
19. Inspired people are … inspiring. I want more of them in my life.
20. Negativity can spread like a virus. It should be quarantined.
21. Passion is infectious. It should be spread.
22. Music feeds the soul and fuels the spirit. Turn it up!
23. We were all put on this earth for a purpose. What it is may evolve.
24. R-E-S-P-E-C-T … Aretha’s anthem is one we should all live by.
25. A solid handshake makes a strong statement.
26. Perfection is impossible. As Nike says … Just Do It!

Do any of these resonate with you? I would love to hear some of the things you know for sure in whatever half of life you’re in. Feel free to add to my list.

Magazines + wine = relaxation

Weekends are for relaxing, right? With our crazy lives, juggling the very active schedules of four kids, we don’t always get to do a lot of relaxing most weekends. But I try to sneak in at least a few minutes of down time on Saturday and Sunday. One of my favorite ways to relax is with a stack of magazines and a glass of red wine.

Magazines are one of my simple pleasures. Despite of all the technology today, magazines are not dead. Far from it, actually. I applaud and very much agree with the recent advertising campaign created by a group of the leading publishers in the industry called Magazines – The Power of Print.

Magazines – The Power of Print®

The double-truck ads in most of the top publications spell out the growth and popularity of magazines, explaining that readership among 18-34 year olds is growing, and even more interesting since Facebook was founded, magazines have gained more than one million young adult readers.

I’ve subscribed for years to a couple favorite titles. My top two are Fast Company and Better Homes & Gardens. Two significantly different types of content, I know. But I love them both. What I like most about these two publications goes beyond the editorial. Don’t get me wrong, the articles are always well-written, interesting, thought provoking and motivating. However, it’s the overall layout that grabs me and keeps me coming back for more.

As a writer, editor and publisher myself I’m fully aware of the important role graphic design plays in bringing words to life. You could say I have become somewhat of a graphic design snob. My expectations for design are very high.

To make it into my magazine pile a publication has to be filled with compelling articles  presented in a format that’s fresh, contemporary, fun and easy-to-read. If the layout is too busy or the articles are too long, sorry … it’s off my pile. After all, my relaxation time is limited. I have to be very selective.

While I have my favorites, which are delivered in my mailbox every month, I am always open to new titles. In adding new magazines to my pile, I’ll often visit our local library and peruse the extensive collection of magazines. I always leave the Chippewa River District Library with an armful of recent issues of a variety of publications. Some magazines may make into my pile once, but only the good ones make it twice.

Recently I picked up copies of a couple magazines I haven’t seen in awhile. New to my pile this week is Food & Wine, Wine Enthusiast and Cooking Light. Food Network has made it to my pile for several months in a row now. I’m considering a subscription. While at the library, I couldn’t resist grabbing a few past issues of some of my other favorites, as well — Fortune, Inc. and Entrepreneur Magazine.

On a good weekend, I am typically able to flip through the pages of at least half the magazines in my pile. With close to 10 titles in my pile, I am hopeful for a good bit relaxation this weekend.

I’d love to hear what’s in your pile. Perhaps I’ll add your favorite magazine to my pile!

Facebook changes – see more from who you care about, less from those you don’t

Heads ups Facebook fans — a flurry of changes are rolling out at a rapid pace. Updates started about a week ago with improvements to Facebook’s Friends List, which now closely resembles options offered by Google+, making it easier to see more from people you really want to hear from and simpler to target specific messages to exactly those you want to reach.

The recent changes introduced include three features (1 update and 2 completely new ones) and FB is not done yet. These releases were sent to whet our appetite, it seems. Rumor has it Facebook is announcing a major redesign of the site is to be unveiled at its F8 Developers Conference next week. Stay tuned for details on that overhaul.

For now, here’s a rundown of the latest changes to Facebook:

When logging into your account, Facebook wants you to see things you’re most interested in, such as what your friends and family are up to. Improvements to  Friend Lists and the addition of a new Subscribe button will help you see more of what you care about.

Friend Lists: Lists are not new to Facebook, but users have complained about how time-consuming it is to create and organize friends into lists and keep them updated. The improved Friend Lists function allows you to share a personal story with your closest friends & family—without co-workers, or worse your boss also reading the post.

According to Facebook, lists are now easier and more useful with the addition of the these three improvements: (from Blake Ross - The Facebook Blog)

• Smart lists - These lists can create themselves and stay up-to-date based on profile info your friends have in common with you–such as your work, school, family and city.
• Close Friends & Acquaintances lists - See your best friends’ photos and posts in one place, and see less from people you’re not as close to.
• Better suggestions - You can add the right friends to your lists without a lot of effort.

Friend Lists are optional. If you don’t like lists, you don’t have to use them Improved Friend lists will be available to everyone this week and rolling out on mobile over the next few weeks.  Facebook would love to hear your feedback at facebook.com/ListsTeam.

Subscribe button: Now you can hear from people you’re interested in, not just friends. Click the Subscribe button on the Facebook page of your favorite journalists, celebrities, politicians, etc. and you’ll get their public updates in your News Feed. Not everyone will have a Subscribe button on their Facebook page, only those who allow subscribers will have a Subscribe button on their profile. If you don’t see the button, you can’t subscribe.

The new Subscribe button will enable you to do three things:

1. Select exactly what you want to see from people in your News Feed.

2. Allow others to subscribe to your posts.

3. Subscribe to people who are NOT your friends.

Find answers to more questions about the new Subscribe button here.

The Ticker:  No more lag time in posts! The new Ticker feed, located in the top right corner of Facebook above the chat pane, shows the same stuff seen on Facebook, but brings your conversations to life by displaying updates instantaneously, as Facebook describes. Now you can click on anything in the Ticker, see the full story and jump into the conversation immediately, all while remaining on your Facebook page.

From a Marketing standpoint …

These upgrades and additions are good news to users, particularly businesses and organizations using Facebook to connect with customers and grow their bottom line. The latest Facebook features offer three main advantages for marketers.

1. Greater focus on personalization, offering greater ability to communicate more directly with customers.

2. Extended opportunity in social search, allowing the chance for your business to show up in web searches now that Facebook posts are becoming more public via Subscribe button.

3. Big step into real-time, providing immediate opportunity to reach out to customers, prompting them to act on promotions now.

As I mentioned earlier, these new features are just the beginning. It’ll be exciting to see what else Facebook has up its sleeve with the anticipated major site redesign to be announced next week. Check back & I’ll fill you in on what’s next.

In the meantime, I’d be interested in hearing what you think about these updates.

Further resources on what’s new to Facebook – check out HubSpot Blog

http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/25670/facebook-enhances-news-feed-and-introduces-ticker?source=Blog_Email_%5bFacebook%20Enhances%20Ne%5d

Blogs – the new morning paper

Sometimes another blogger’s post prompts further thoughts and a blog post of my own. Actually, that happens a lot. That was the case recently when I read a post by a fellow local, Mt. Pleasant-based blogger Jack White. In his Navigate Jack blog, he wrote about his Sunday morning routine involving the morning paper.

The paper he reads however is not delivered to his doorstep. Instead to his computer screen. Rather than peruse the harsh headlines in the daily newspaper, Jack opts to start his day reviewing something more engaging … a collection of favorite blogs. I, too, have migrated in this direction, and have come to know and appreciate a handful of talented writers online.

Unlike journalists who are  required to deliver the who, what, when and where in an objective manner, bloggers are everyday, ordinary people writing about things they care about. They tell passionate stories of experiences that have moved them and offer advice from what they’ve learned along the way.

As a subscriber, I’ve come to know these bloggers personally. Their posts inspire, motivate, educate, inform and expand me. In some cases, like Navigate Jack’s blog post, prompt me to take action Reading Jack’s blog post encouraged me to chime in with applause for bloggers.

Like Jack, I’m always on the look out for interesting blogs to follow. With that in mind, I thought I’d share a few of my favorite blogs, in turn, hopefully you’ll pass along a few of your favorites, too.

52 Cups of Coffee

One girl’s year-long experiment with caffeine and conversation. As a senior at Michigan State University, Megan embarked on a yearlong project to share a cup of coffee with someone she doesn’t know and write about what she learns along the way. She’s currently in week 44 of her 52 week journey. It’s been enlightening to follow her journey.

City Saunter

One woman’s quest to walk every street in the city of Lansing, Michigan. Along the way, Blogger Ariniko O’Meara hopes to patronize as many local businesses as she can. In doing so, she also intends offer media attention, publicity, and support to Lansing small businesses and draw attention to the Lansing area. Following her saunter through our state’s capital city is always enlightening with a fresh eye on the hidden gems in Lansing.

Chrisbrogan.com

Chris Brogan is the Godfather of blogging. With more than 11 years experience in online community, social media, and related technologies, his blog is in the Top 5 of the Advertising Age Power15o. But that’s not why I follow Chris. His writing is spot-on with advice learned from his own real-life experiences in the world of social media.

Around the Plate

Kati Mora is the “girl behind the plate”. She’s a registered dietician who couldn’t cook when she began her career. She figured if she could learn to cook healthy and tasty meals anyone could. She invited the Internet world to join her on the journey and Around the Plate blog was born. Kati shares lots of nutrition tips, along with her life as a mom, pastor’s wife and entrepreneur. It’s been fun getting to know the girl behind the plate.

Art Reach’s Festival of Banners — one small step towards collaboration

I don’t typically have to look far to find something that makes me smile in our community. A quick ride throughout downtown Mt. Pleasant and up and down Pickard Street in Union Township causes me to grin these days as I admire the artistic talent of community members displayed on light posts, part of Art Reach of Mid Michigan’s third annual Festival of Banners.

Ryan Backus - "Milo & Mini" - ArtReach of Mid Michigan's Festival of Banners

This year I experienced a close-up view of the banner project as our youngest son and resident family-artist submitted a design for the festival. I now have a stronger appreciation for local artistic talent after accompanying Ryan to “paint day”, where he spent several hours recreating the masterpiece he submitted on an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper onto a 30-by-60-inch canvas, almost twice the size of him.

Our family artist Ryan Backus proudly displaying his masterpiece for Festival of Banners

Ryan was one of 365 children, students, residents and artists to have their creativity displayed throughout Mount Pleasant and Isabella County. Watching local artists mix paint colors and bring their visions to life in vibrant color, I was in awe at the incredible amount of talent we have here in our town.

An interesting and unintentional outcome of the Banner Festival this year is collaboration. Who knew such an event could generate goodwill between community entities that have not always worked from a “we’re in it together” mindset in the past.

Union Township, Isabella County and the City of Mt. Pleasant have come together in the Festival of Banners. The event received rave reviews in its first two years as a City of Mt. Pleasant-only project, prompting Union Township and Isabella County to both voice an interest is expanding the project. As a result, banners are now hung throughout Union Township, Shepherd and Winn.

Considering the current push at the state level, from Governor Snyder himself, to encourage and reward collaboration within communities, I’d say the effort to join forces in the Festival of Banners is a small, but perhaps significant step, in the right direction for our local governing bodies.

As I see it, the door is opened … what other initiatives can we come together on to enhance and move our community forward?

Khan Academy = an answer to K-12 schools woes

This past weekend our 10-year old son taught himself how to finger knit via YouTube.  The fact that he took it upon hiumself to do this in the midst Friday night mayhem at our house was not the surprising part. After all as child #4, he has always managed to find a way to occupy himself; having been carted around to his siblings sporting events since he was born. The surprising part (and impressive, I might add) is the fact that he was able to find a resource online showing step-by-step how to do it and then follow the instructions to do it.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3LKAlDz9ig - (this YouTube video has received 691,024 views & it’s just one of the many videos that popped up on YouTube search for “how to finger knit”)

As he sat in front of the computer screen weaving yarn in and out of his fingers according to the video instructions, I was struck by how easily an elementary-age student was able to learn through this medium. This generation of young learners are far more open to non-traditional teaching methods than any generation before them.

With school budget cuts currently at the forefront of every public school district’s agenda, I can’t help but wonder what savings schools might incur by tapping into existing resources available through technology and the internet.

In the vastly growing open source community on the web, there are loads of opportunities to enhance or improve learning by using online resources. Utilizing these resources, which have become widely popular in higher ed learning, would undoubtedly lead to cost savings and increased test scores. Both of these are top goals every district is wrestling to ahieve.

A little initiative and research is required to identify methods to match curriculum. Ultimately, such innovative teaching methods could allow for larger classroom sizes, something on the list of potential options for cost savings. The bonus — while class sizes could increase, the opportunity for more individualized learning would also grow by using online learning options.

One incredible resource that has garnered a huge audience and captured the attention of such big hitters as Bill Gates, is Khan Academy … a collection of more than 2,100 videos, providing the chance to “Watch. Practice. Learn almost anything—for free.” Gates has described Salman Khan, founder of Khan Academy, as a pioneer and has even used some of the online lessons himself.

Khan Academy started out as a personal endeavor with Salman Khan creating a few videos to help his cousins better understand algebra. Those few how-to videos have grown to a collection of more than 2,100 videos and 100 self-paced exercises and assessments, covering virtually every topic from math to physics, finance, chemistry and history. The website currently boasts a staggering figure of 54,713,766 lessons delivered — whoa!

I’ve checked out a couple videos myself and I will say, Sal does a fantastic job explaining difficult concepts in the most layman’s terms. I re-learned the basics of an algebra equation in less than 10 minutes.

The non-profit has a daunting mission … to change education for the better by providing a free world-class education to anyone anywhere.

According to the Khan Academy website – here’s how it works for students, teachers, coaches & even parents.

How it works for students

• Students can make use of the extensive video library, practice exercises, and assessments from any computer with access to the web.
• Complete custom self-paced learning tool
• A dynamic system for getting help
• A custom profile, points, and badges to measure progress

How it works for Coaches, parents, and teachers

• Provides unprecedented visibility into what their students are learning and doing on the Khan Academy.
• Ability to see any student in detail
• A real-time class report for all students
• Better intelligence for doing targeted interventions

Khan’s effort is a shining example of how we ought to be rethinking and retooling education, allowing for improved learning opportunities that can also provide tremendous cost savings to public education.

I invite you to try out a Khan Academy lesson for yourself. Whether you’re a teacher, coach, parent or student … tell me what you learned from the Khan video you selected.

Finally … I ask this question to K-12 public school administrators & teachers — in the midst of unprecedented budget cuts how can we incorporate an online learning option into our classrooms and curriculum in a way that could help improve learning, achieve outcomes and provide cost savings?

Eager for answers to this question …