• Ability to work from anywhere
• Fantastic “office” environment
• Fewer meetings, committee assignments, etc. so you can accomplish more during the workweek
• Learn quickly who has the best coffee and wifi in town
• Flexibility in meeting family needs

• Anywhere you go, you can work
• If you aren’t getting along with the people in the “office”, you may need to seek counseling.
• People often question “What do you do all day?”
• Judge every place you go by the quality of wifi
• Family thinks you can be flexible to meet all their needs

All around us are technologies that seem to be past their prime, but are still widely used today.  Here is a list of 7 technologies that are relevant and old school simultaneously.

• Email.  “Shoot me an email” is business language, no longer hip.
• DVD/BluRay.  We still rent and buy them, but streaming is becoming king.
• Skype.  I recently mentioned it and someone asked me if it was 2005.
• Watches.  More of a fashion accessory than a needed piece any more thanks to cell phones.
• Bluetooth earpiece.  I am all for hands free driving, but please, leave it in the car.
• CDs.  Both for music and for computers.  Yup.  You know who you are.
• Cable TV/Satellite.  Not because of technology itself, but that fact that we can pay for only the channels we want.

Feel free to add to the list.  There is nothing like technology to make us retro so quickly:)

I have read countless articles over the years about what not to say at work.  Things like:

• “It’s always been done that way”
• “I’ll Try”
• “That’s not my job”
• “I hate…”
• Put in your favorite here ___________

Obviously these are things people should avoid saying.  The challenge is getting people to avoid thinking this way.  If you are a Stinker Thinker, here are some things you can do:

1.  Hang around more with really poor employees.  You will look like the rockstar of the bunch.

2.  When things are getting really difficult, use up a bunch of your sick days.

3.  Plan your vacation around the time when you know things are the busiest.  This will keep you off the implementation team.

4.  Find scapegoats.  You need to have a 1/2 dozen folks at work that you can blame to make you look good.

5.  Become really good friends with your boss so that you can get the easy tasks and not get fired.

Did that help.  No?  Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.  Here are some good ones. 🙂

1.  Spend time at work with positive people who accomplish goals.  If you really watch and ask questions, you will learn how these rockstars get it done.

2.  Train yourself to search for the silver lining in all things.  This will be challenging. Sometimes you just want to be mad.  The problem with that is you drift back into the negative.  Find something –even the smallest thing– that will be a benefit.

3.  Step out of your comfort zone regularly.  Volunteer for things.  Look, we are all “busy” at work.  We do however have time for projects that can make our jobs exciting.  This way when change comes you are on the front side of it.

4.  Find a new job.  I mean this.  Life is too short to be miserable in your job.  It may take some time, but in the end a change of scenery may be just what you need.

I am not an expert on this subject, but I do play one in this blog post.  If you have ideas to help folks, please share them.  Happy people are productive people.  Those are the folks I look to have on my team!

Here are 10 things I have learned through parenting that I have adapted to my work life (in no particular order).

1.  Things are just not going to go as you planned.  Deal with it.

2.  There are just some nights that you aren’t going to get any sleep, but the job needs to get done.

3.  Positive reinforcement goes further then scolding.  Sometime corrective action needs to take place, but don’t let it be your primary method of behavior change.

4.  Some activities get messy and may take awhile to clean up.  That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it.

5.  Vacations are awesome.  Use the time.

6.  The day can only get better after a morning dirty diaper change.  Change can be a good thing!

7.  Despite what people think, yes, you can get work done when you are constantly interrupted.  It just takes longer.

8.  It is better to be honest than be caught in a lie (except with Santa of course).  Just own up to mistakes.

9.  Laughter heals.  It also brings teams together.

10.  Sometimes you just need a stiff drink.  Yup.  It’s true.

Please feel free to add to the list.

I envision a future where we have a world university where students from all over the world come together to learn and collaborate in dynamic online environments.  A future where companies partner with academics to develop a curriculum that teaches both the why and the how.   Projects drive the learning to prepare a world ready and job ready graduate.  Creative and critical thinking skills are put to the test on real world projects where students are being mentored by industry leaders from across the globe.

The reality of it is, we don’t need it to be a university at all.  This kind of effort can exist in a collaborative partnership between academia and the private sector.

Can you imagine it?  Can you see a world that prepares people to solve global problems together rather than in their own silos?  I may be dreamer, but I believe this will be actualized.

I have been watching the MOOC movement for the past few year.  For those who don’t know, MOOC is “Massive Open Online Course.”  The MOOC began in 2008 (I think) but really started to become popular in 2012.  MOOCs are designed to bring free learning to the masses.  While it will be a long time before all formal learning is free, MOOCs are pushing the boundaries and disrupting Higher Education.  Just look at what Arizona State University is doing.  If you want credit, it will cost you about $200 per credit hour, but if you just want to learn, it is free!

This makes me wonder where MOOCs will take us.  Are MOOCs the future?  I think they will be part of the future.  What they are doing is ushering in change.  Students will begin to demand lower cost educational options.  This alone will cramp the style of traditional higher education.

What about higher education accreditation?  Talk about a system stuck in the past.  As colleges and universities begin to make changes to meet the growing demand of a new style of learner, how will accrediting bodies learn, adjust and change?   Maybe they need a MOOC course to prepare them for this.  HA!

I think the verdict is still out there on MOOCs.  I don’t think they are a fad, but they need to be able to deliver on the learning outcomes and employment.  Some things to ponder….

• Are MOOCs moving Higher Ed to a personalized or customized education model?
• Are MOOCs able to prepare people for the workforce?
• How do MOOCs value or undervalue the role of a teacher?
• Can universities handle massive or will they be offering an OOC?
• Do crocs really need to do a death roll?  Just checking to see if you are reading:)
• Do developers of MOOCs give up intellectual ownership with the course content?

I’m sure there are plenty of pros and cons to MOOCs and plenty of people on either side of the topic.  Ultimately, I am glad they are here.  My hope is that we see them begin to prepare students and under employed people for careers.  Maybe even a better way to certify learning beyond higher ed accreditation.  Time to share the wealth and open learning to the masses!

Here is a list of things I ought to do, but most likely won’t.

• Exercise regularly. It’s the regularly part that I seem to struggle with.
• Eat healthy. It just makes me grouchy.
• Save more, spend less. Spending is just way more fun.
• Stay in touch with people. I say I will do this every time I talk to someone I haven’t talked to in a long time. To my defense, if you were better about it so would I be:)
• Be patient. Just not gonna happen.
• Move out of Phoenix. We just have it too good here.
• Spend more time with friends. The generations before me could do it, why are we all so busy now?
• Get to the theater more. I love the theater. Yes, I really do. I never think to look up to see what is coming to town. Did see Eddie Izzard recently. That counts.
• Drink less coffee. Oh, but I love it so.
• Stop measuring things with wins and losses. Problem is, I just hate to lose.

Can any of you relate? If so, let me know. If not, see bullet number 4. I will be in touch. LOL!

Over the years academic advising has become complicated.  Too many options for students to complete their degree is troublesome.  I have seen it listed that as much as 80% of students change their major while in college.  This stat shows that most students are unsure of what to study.  If they are not sure what they want to study, how sure are they about the courses they choose each semester?  Enter the Academic Advisor.

Academic advisor roles have become much more than people who “tell students what courses to take.”  They are professionals who act as a student’s personal concierge.  They help students with exploring majors, looking at class options, looking at scheduling options, looking at which professors teach to their learning style, offer up suggestions on how to “double dip” requirements, etc.  Because advisors are in the relationship building business, they often do low level counseling sessions with students as well.

Advising has truly become an art.  To be able to blend the details of degree requirements and be a builder and advocate for students takes special people.  Not everyone has these skills.  I have worked with advisors over the years that are great at pieces, but struggle with the whole.

Here are some of the things modern day Academic Advisors need to enhance their art form:

• Support from administration.  Case loads need to be manageable to have a real impact on student success and retention.
• Online Tools.  CRM systems are critical.  Advisors need tools that help them work more efficiently.
• Public Speaking Skills.  Long gone are the days where advisors can sit in an office or cubical and meet 1:1 with students. They are now part of orientations, class room presentations, transfer presentations, etc.
• Digging Skills.  All to often academic advisors sit on the surface with students.  Advisors need to dig down, ask follow up questions, get to the route of the problem or true questions that students don’t know to ask.  The key is that advisors must ask questions.
• Problem Solving Skills.  Not every student case is routine.  Each student is unique, treat them that way.
• Critical Thinking Skills.  Similar to problem solving, advisors need to think critically about each student session and seek creative solutions.
• A Love Of Interaction.  Advisors need to love meeting with and working with a lot of students.  Advising needs to be a volume job.  When the advising is in the off season, advisors should be reaching out to students.  High volume should not be the only measuring stick, but it should be one of them.
•  Regular Interaction With Faculty.  Advisors need to know the faculty and faculty need to know them.
• Ongoing Training.  To be an expert in your craft, you need to be constantly improving your skill sets.
• Conference Attendance.  Advisors need to talk to others outside their college and/or system to learn and grow.

On second thought, maybe we need to just simplify the curriculum and have less options for students.  Hmmmm.

My family and I spent 5 days in the Disney World parks this past week.  Here are some insights I had from the trip that are applicable to work and life.

1.  Attention to detail matters.

2.  Exceptional service still exists.

3.  Even the best has areas to improve.

4.  The past can ignite your creativity.

5.  Change is good.

6.  You don’t always have to take yourself so seriously.

7.  While the cost of admission is high, memories you make are priceless.

8.  If you spend some time planning ahead, it can really improve your experience.

9.  A little bit of rain shouldn’t ruin your parade.

10.  Never underestimate the importance of a good pair of shoes.

The still of the morning when everyone is still sleeping and it feels like I have the house to myself remains one of my favorite times of the day.  The time when I can solve the world’s problems, drink coffee, respond to some emails and see what’s happening with people on social media. This morning for some reason I was wondering what happened to time. When did I get so old?  When did getting up at 5:30am without an alarm clock happen?  When did I start to turn off the lights to save electricity?  When did I stop taking things for granted?  When did my body start making weird noises?  I guess my body has always made weird noises, but I mean weird noises that aren’t funny. I guess the big question is….When did I become a grown-up?  At what point did I cross over?  I can’t blame parenthood or marriage because social media proves that is not the case.  I guess I will never really know precisely when it happened, but I am glad it did. I have enjoyed getting older.   Not the older part so much, but the things that go along with getting older.  Sure, there are more responsibilities now, but I am having fun.  I think that is the key to life.  Have fun and enjoy it.  I guess that is why when I see you trip and fall, I laugh.  So, maybe the maturity thing is not all there yet.  HA!