crucial conversations is an eye and soul opener. I am responsible for my own understanding and misunderstanding.. Certain controllable behaviors build the wall and walls between and that hold me inside. Through becoming more sentient, true dialogue becomes possible.

Level I reading compete. Level II reading in progress.

“Nothing gives one person so much advantage as to remain always cool and unruffled under all circumstances.” Thomas Jefferson

WC68

The HR Five-Foot Shelf of Books - benchmarked from The Harvard Classics - The Five-Foot Shelf of Books.

Collecting inputs from HR peers, will start posting the list here this weekend. Stay tuned.

Going on the premise that each book is one inch, five feet is sixty inches, thus 60 books will be listed. Each contributor will be credited.

2008.11.15 Update - Here is the list so far, 31 books. Do have some formatting issues to visit and resolve for simple copying/pasting. Also missing about 15-20 inputs received via email that were unintentionally purged.

I just now realized that I left off the inputs from another resource, BRB!

Critical Conversations (wbr sphr)
The Future of Human Resource Management (Losey et al) (wbr sphr)
Daily Reflections for Highly Effective People (wbr sphr)
The Path to Tranquility (Daily reflections) by the Dali Lama (wbr sphr)
Discipline without Punishment (Midwest HR)
Leader’s Legacy (Midwest HR)
Crucial Confrontations (Midwest HR & Dan Johnson)
Good to Great (HR-MO & Mark)
Making Your HR Dept a Profit Center (anonymous)
Getting Things Done (anonymous)
Management of Organizational Behavior by Hersey & Blanchar (RMSJr)
Primal Leadership by Goleman (RMSJr)
First, Break All The Rules by Buckingham et al. (RMSJr)
Leading Change – Kotter (HRD)
Break the rules yadda (HRD)
the Leadership challenge – Kouzez (HRD)
Take Back Your Life (using Outlook) – McGhee (HRD)
Pay People Right – Zingheim (HRD)
Human Resource Management – Mathis (HRD)
Hire with Your Head (HR-MO)
Getting to Yes - the Art of Negotiation (HR-MO)
The Inner Game of Work (HR-MO)
Analyzing Performance Problems: Or, You Really Oughta Wanna (HR-MO)
The Skilled Helped (HR-MO)
Mandated Benefits (good reference guide for all states) (Midwest HR)
QBQ: Question Behind the Question by John Miller (Fargo)
Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell (Fargo)
Leadership Secrets of Colin Powell (Fargo)
Machavelli’s The Prince (Fargo)
The Oz Principle (Mark)
The 5 Dysfunctions of Team (Mark)

WC49

Today’s experiment - a day without post-it notes.

It almost worked. I used one.

Why did I join?
Why did I stay?
Why did I leave?
Join Stay Leave

Heard it on NPR this morning, A Soldier’s Refrain: Going Home. Worth reading. Worth more listened to.

Posters

October 31, 2008

A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America

On Veterans Day, we pay tribute to the service and sacrifice of the men and women who in defense of our freedom have bravely worn the uniform of the United States.

From the fields and forests of war-torn Europe to the jungles of Southeast Asia, from the deserts of Iraq to the mountains of Afghanistan, brave patriots have protected our Nation’s ideals, rescued millions from tyranny, and helped spread freedom around the globe. America’s veterans answered the call when asked to protect our Nation from some of the most brutal and ruthless tyrants, terrorists, and militaries the world has ever known. They stood tall in the face of grave danger and enabled our Nation to become the greatest force for freedom in human history. Members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard have answered a high calling to serve and have helped secure America at every turn.

Our country is forever indebted to our veterans for their quiet courage and exemplary service. We also remember and honor those who laid down their lives in freedom’s defense. These brave men and women made the ultimate sacrifice for our benefit. On Veterans Day, we remember these heroes for their valor, their loyalty, and their dedication. Their selfless sacrifices continue to inspire us today as we work to advance peace and extend freedom around the world.

With respect for and in recognition of the contributions our service members have made to the cause of peace and freedom around the world, the Congress has provided (5 U.S.C. 6103(a)) that November 11 of each year shall be set aside as a legal public holiday to honor America’s veterans.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim November 11, 2008, as Veterans Day and urge all Americans to observe November 9 through November 15, 2008, as National Veterans Awareness Week. I encourage all Americans to recognize the bravery and sacrifice of our veterans through ceremonies and prayers. I call upon Federal, State, and local officials to display the flag of the United States and to support and participate in patriotic activities in their communities. I invite civic and fraternal organizations, places of worship, schools, businesses, unions, and the media to support this national observance with commemorative expressions and programs.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand eight, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.

GEORGE W. BUSH

Inspired by a friendly potatoe.

“Self first is not selfish” ~ RMSJr

How often, too often, are we sucker choiced into doing things for the greater good, for others, at the expense of self? There is a significant difference between with neither extreme to be occupied exclusively at the exclusion of the other. Some things, done well, for self first, contribute for the greater good.

Case study: My geothermal system. Done for my own purely self first economic and emotional interests. It does have greater good implications, Go Green-reduce carbon footprint, and reducing the demand for oil reduces the price for oil (note the recent collapse in the global value for oil - that was me, not we )while increasing national independence from foreign oil. blahblahblahblahblahblah. I did it for my own independence from the maddening global market place forces. Whom I kidding, I took the demand for several jobs out of the economy as well - oil delivery truck driver, oil burner service technician, oil company customer service representative and oil company overhead support, (the recent surge in unemployment wasn’t me, I had nothing to do with it.) But, in my defense, all these jobs have been replaced with retail impact - every six months, I have to replace the air filter. Unless I use the self checkout lane, cashier clerk presence will be required. Back to self first.

Only when we are whole our selves can we be in this time, space and place for others. Anything less is enabled subsistence.

“Self first is not selfish” ~ RMSJr

WC258

More of a reminder to self. I was presenting last night to a local S/PHR certification course as a successful student from the spring class. Lessons learned, that sort of thing. With my background, education, and experience, it became more of a mini Studying to Learn lecture. Which was good and added value to my fifteen minutes of fame. What I was reminded of was this, how my learning reading style parrallels my business/professional writing style. Three stages to completion. Outline - stop. Add main points - stop. Add clarification and support - stop. I’m glad I remembered that.

WC97

8 PM
Well, we’ve been out for dinner, to another location beyond our usualocation. Dirty jobs are on the tv. The first segment is on leech trapping.

We voted one week ago yesterday. Our young’un voted this morning on the way into work.

Let’s see what else is going on tonight?

WC50

8:09 pm The prime holiday catalogue was delivered today - B&H photo supply.

WC62

The polls are closing now in Maine. Here in my enclave, McCain carried the house with three electoral votes. Wonder how that is going to translate into the town, county, district and state results.

WC97

8:16 pm - ten views on the blog, no comments or compliments.

8:23 pm - Maine for Obama with 0% precinct reporting….

8:30 New Hampshire to Obama. McPain for John. Truth be told, and history bears this out, we toggle back and forth between the two parties at the presidential level. The pendulum swings as the ax falls.

8:33 pm On Dirty Jobs, they were frying and eating leeches.

BARF stands for Biologically Appropriate Raw Food. Betcha just learned something new.

WC172

8:36 still no precincts reporting in maine

Senator Collins now has 3 total votes in Maine so far.

8:41 PA to the big O, guess the bitter folks left their guns and religions where?

8:45 PM Maine results, McCain 17, Obama 8. Ahh, if it will only stay that way.

8:51 PM When all is said, when all is done, despite two years of electioneering, we can be proud of our republican democracy. The absence of violence speaks volumes. Now, if we can get out of the two year running for office thing. Stay on and do your job. It’s the last year that counts, if even that much.

9:10 pm States I’ve lived in that are going to McCain - Alabama, North Dakota, & Wyoming.

9:36 Time for bed, have to get @ 5 AM, when America goes to work.

MMMMM, data! Speak to me, reveal your secrets, show me your trends.

Data points collectedaily: House electrical consumption, geothermal system consumption (has its own meter ), average temperature, heating/cooling degree days.

Data benchmarks: Last year’s monthly daily average electrical consumption and average temperature.

Calculated data: daily electrical consumption - house, geo & total, difference from last year, average, sum, cost and standardeviation.

SUMMARY
October 6 – 31, 2008
Geo KW 580
Geo Cost $57.85
Oil Equivalent $220.37 (at the contract rate)
For oil to be competitive, the price per gallon would have to be $1.22

A week from today, hosting an open house for interested parties. Most of the neighborhood, some beyond.

WC104

As the results come in, I will be posting a series of observations as to what it means for and to me. Stay tuned.

WC25

I keep a daily running b/log at work. The left page is the daily to do list. The right page is the daily time log, activities by time, with interruptions and distractions noted as well. The right side has been running over to the next page. This leaves a blank page in between daily entries, wasting one page daily.

Today, I am beta testing columnizing the left page. I have already measured and marked a dividing line. We’ll see how this works.

WC83

948 am - so far, so good, the day is young.

WC92

Friday update. I did it two days in a row, minor necessary tweaks on day two. I don’t like it. Beta testerminated.

WC115