And didn’t appreciate it.

Today I had a lunch meeting with a business colleague.

• We both love sushi.
• I suggested the restaurant.
• I arrived a few minutes early as I was hosting the lunch.

The parking lot was pretty empty.

• I drove by the door.
• Saw they opened at 11:30 AM.
• I found a nice parking space.

Finally 11:30 AM arrived.

• I hopped out of the car.
• Walked to the door.
• Dreaming of scrumptious sushi.

Taped to the door was a flyer.

• It was almost the same color as the door.
• The writing was very small.
• The restaurant was closed for rennovations!

I was ticked.

• There was no notice on their website.
• I wasted time in the parking lot.
• They made me look like a poor planner!

Luckily, my colleague had not arrived.

• I called her cell.
• We agreed to a different location.

All was fine - but I still fume just a little.

• I won’t be going there any time soon.
• And I am telling a lot of people about it.

Makes me think of chapter leaders…how do you keep your members in the loop when change happens in your chapter?

Seems like good advice for all of us in this economic climate:  accept what's been given to you and move forward.

For more on improv techniques and ways to apply them every day, take a look at Jack Cheng's series of articles online at Behance Magazine.

"It’s a process familiar to any creative problem-solver: you start of with a few pieces of key information and spend the rest of the time cracking the code - working toward a solution and defining the various details along the way."

The way to beat writer's block is to write and the way to confront fear is to act.  Find the key pieces of information in this downturn and crack the code.

Interestingly, back in 2006 I posted over at We Have Always Done It That Way: 

"My point is that certificates are a distinct type of credentialing program warranting their own set of quality standards." 

Little did I know how involved I would become in developing that standard!

The standard development process has presented both challenges and opportunities.  The primary challenge has been the controversy -- primarily because both ASTM and NOCA were (are) developing independent standards.  As an active member and supportive of NOCA, it has not been easy being on "the other team", but early on I made a decision about this and I still feel strongly I've made the right decision.  Another challenge has been the time devoted to the effort. As the technical lead on the standard, it's been my job to be the author/editor -- that is, to rework the draft based on all the criticisms, questions, and suggestions.  We've had three major revisions (based on the feedback obtained through the balloting process) plus for each negative vote that came in through that same process, if we (the lead subject matter experts) disagreed with it, we had to write a point-by-point rationale against the commenter and put that back out to vote to the full committee.  That made for a lot of discussion and writing time!

But it's been worth the effort because more important than the challenges, the opportunities presented are significant for all of us in the education, training and credentialing community!  Also back in 2006 I wrote that for many industries it was time to rethink traditional certification.   I believe many organizations that develop certification programs would be better served through a certificate program, but previously the concept of a certificate program was fuzzy and not well known.  Now with the upcoming release of an American National Standard for certificate programs, that is about to change!  I believe we are going to see a huge growth in the development of certificate programs, as more industries and organizations become aware of the certificate program model and opportunities presented.  Certification is not and should not go away (although as I've discussed in the rethinking traditional certification post, many programs need a face-lift).  Certification meets a real need to identify and recognize qualified professionals in many industries.  Just as important, however, certificate programs offer a just-in-time model for organizations to address knowledge/skill deficits and to recognize individuals who've attained the specific knowledge/skill targeted.

There are only a handful of certificate programs (as defined by the standard, not including certificate of participation or certificate of attendance) in the association community.  It's January and a time for predictions, right?  I think we'll see an obvious growth (at least double) by the end of 2009.  If your organization has a certificate program or is developing one, let me know so I can update this blog on progress and growth.

Declare a “tradition holiday”–If governments can declare “tax holidays” to stimulate consumer spending, why can’t association boards and CEOs declare “tradition holidays” to stimulate generative thinking about how our organizations can create new value in the 21st century? The middle of an economic downturn, when the need for innovation is at its highest point, is the best possible time to remove the legacy constraints that prevent staff, volunteers and members from suggesting the ideas, both large and small, that can make a real difference today and going forward.

Accelerate high potential investments–The management reflex is to reduce spending now, wait out the economy, and hope that things will look better in the summer or fall.  While every organization has non-strategic spending to cut, associations cannot afford to choke off investments in ideas with real upside.  The same holds true for high potential people.  Association leaders are not required to sacrifice either compelling ideas or talented contributors just because the Big Book of Economic Downturn Conventional Wisdom says they should.

Give stuff away–I know, I know, it’s heresy, right?  But think about it for a minute.  Every association has tons of dormant content just waiting to be awakened and revitalized on the social platform of its choice.  How has that burning industry or professional issue from 2005 or 2006 evolved over the last 3-4 years?  Has it been resolved, or did it just fade into the background?  What have we learned, and what are we still trying to learn?  By giving this kind of platinum content away, associations can demonstrate their knowledge power, their capacity to create meaning and their commitment to member success all at the same time, and that’s a strategic move in the direction of indispensability.

During challenging times, the problem with doing the expected is that everyone expects it.  Now is the time to do the unexpected.

If you’re interested in learning more about the trends that will shape your association’s work in 2009, please join me for the January 7 P.I. Briefing.  Register by 11 am EST on Wednesday, January 7!

“An experience occurs when a company intentionally uses services as the stage, and goods as props, to engage individual customers in a way that creates a memorable event.”

• The Experience Center replaced five smaller recruitment stations, but costs approximately the same. By concentrating resources in one venue, recruiters can offer a more compelling experience.
• Philadelphia has been one of the more challenging areas for recruitment, so trying something very different here might seem less risky.
• Urban centers often don't have as strong a military presence, so the Center is an effective venue for sharing the Army's story overall regardless of visitors' interest in enlisting.
• The staff—both military and civilians— wear casual clothes to appear more approachable and less "hard sell."
• Three simulators engage participants in completing humanitarian missions, appealing to individuals' sense of being a part of something bigger than themselves.
• An informational kiosk describes more than 175 jobs available in the Army, promoting the fact that not all positions are combat roles.

Pure Mac

Software for Macintosh

Lessons Learned: U.S. States CSV / SQL

CSV/mySQL files of states for future reference.

freesound :: home page

The Freesound Project is a collaborative database of Creative Commons licensed sounds. Freesound focusses only on sound, not songs. This is what sets freesound apart from other splendid libraries like ccMixter. New to this site? Read the What is Freesound page to learn more!

After the Software Wars by Keith Curtis (Book) in Computers & Internet

Given the technology that's already available, we should have cars that drive us around, in absolute safety, while we lounge in the back and sip champagne. This book, written by an 11-year Microsoft veteran, explains how we can build better software and all get our own high-tech chauffeur.

The best tech lists of 2008 | InfoWorld | News | 2008-12-29 | By JR Raphael, PC World, PC World

Year-in-review lists are all the rage right now. Everyone's counting down the top this-or-that of 2008, and amid the noise, there's some pretty interesting content out there. InfoWorld dug through dozens of tech-related "top of 2008" lists to find the cream of the crop.

The Off Broadway, now Broadway bound, musical is playing at the Arena Stage until January 18 and is an emotional roller coaster ride, that for the most part delivers an authentic one-two punch of love and anger. 

The 2008 New York Times review provides the particulars on the cast and creative team.  You can hear three outstanding songs, including I Miss the Mountains, at the Arena web page plus a video clip.

Live theater somehow makes me feel more alive, but this experience left me feeling more human.  Reading Oliver Sacks helps recalibrate normal, but Next to Normal helps you embrace life wherver it takes you.

The Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Social Communications (how’s that for a committee?) has approved an iPhone app called iBreviary.  The application, which is a virtual version of the Catholic liturgical book, was created by an Italian priest, Reverend Paolo Padrini, and is available in Italian, English, Latin, Spanish and French, with German and Portuguese coming in the next version.

If The Vatican can capitalize on emerging technologies, your association has no excuses for failing to do so.  So, what existing content or resource can your association make available through a social/mobile platform that will immediately create new value for your members and a new dimension of performance for your association?

Hat tip: TUAW

If you’re interested in learning more about the trends that will shape your association’s work in 2009, please join me for the January 7 P.I. Briefing.  Register today! 

As part of my new year’s resolution, I’ve been mall walking a lot.

• Doing the same route every day.
• Let’s me see more than the casual shopper.

Recently I observed two differnt service providers beg desperately for business.

• And at the same time, chase customers away.
• By their actions.
• I can’t believe how dumb they are.

It’s all about cell phones.

• The massage guy talked on his phone for at least five minutes while giving a not-so-cheap chair massage to a woman in the center of the mall.
• A manucurist chatted away on her cell while she filed a woman’s nails- as if bored by the client in front of her.

I’m a big fan of both massages and manicures.

• Would never tolerate a phone conversation while working on me.
• Talk about disrespect!
• Their time with me is ALL about ME!

Perhaps the “poor economy” is mislabeled as the cause of some of the struggling we hear about?

• Rudeness never builds business.
• Especially when choices and deals abound!

Makes me think of chapter leaders… has the economy become a scapegoat for something you could and should be doing better for your members?