This week at work we are having an "Annual Planning Meeting." What's that you ask? Well, to summarize - no one really knows. However, we have someone who is an efficiency expert with us to help identify the problems of our staff and provide us with action items to help correct these so we can work effectively together.
What are our problems you ask? Well, you didn't, but I'm going to presume you did - they are twofold. Lack of Communion and Confusion of Roles...I will expand, never fear.
First to tackle the second, Confusion of Roles. This seems like the bigger issue, but I think it is caused by the first - so I explain now... No one truly knows what their job is in its entirety. How is this you ask? Even if they understand their job descriptions, they do not see how they fit into the whole. Additionally, no one understands what everyone else is supposed to do and therefore doesn't know where to take things when they have a problem.
The second issue, but really the first is Lack of Effective Communication. Why include the word effective? Well, everyone is communicating, but no one knows what they are saying. We might be listening, but we are talking to someone in a way that they cannot understand. It's impossible to understand someone who is speaking a language that you do not know. For instance, one time when I was in Germany I was trying to ask where the bus stop was - and I would stomp my foot, speak slowly, say it loudly, whatever to get the person to understand what I was saying. The heart of the matter is that if they did not know English, it didn't matter what I said, how loud or slow I said it, or whether I waved my arms or stomped my feet - they were NOT going to understand me. It is the same with us in our office.
In regards to thinking and the subject of extroverts or introverts. Extroverts think aloud - they say whatever comes to them whether it is their official outcome or not. Introverts formulate something in their mind, speak it, and that is what they think. Each becomes very frustrated with the other and something like this happens...
NO ONE knows what's actually going on!!! Because we aren't asking the right questions to the right people in the right format, and therefore we are not getting anywhere worth going!
So, that's work...
10 days from now this race will be OVER! I'm not sure how well I am prepared for the entire run, but I'm going to do my best and figure out where it takes me (hopefully to the finish line!)!!! If you've got a spare prayer, I'd appreciate a few for the training (walking the course on Saturday of this week, running with one of my teammates on Monday outside, and the treadmill and I will be chillin' the rest of the week). I'd also take some next Saturday during the race - 9am to 10am (hopefully in just 1 hour I'll finish).
I went to Spiritual Direction this week (for those that don't know - this is where you meet iwth a priest or other spiritual adviser of yours that can help you understand and discern the Lord's work and how we can grow in holiness). Over the past few weeks I've been studying the book Back to Virtue by Peter Kreef and as you know last week I facilitated on the vice of pride and the virtue of humility. I was discussing this with my spiritual director and asked about a few situations where I think pride was the issue, he helped me understand how to live out humility with so I could grow in virtue.
In one particular situation with a parent that happened over the weekend, he said I should turn the other cheek because some time has past and it would only make for a more complicated confrontation. Anyway, then I went to work on Wednesday was was given about 7 situations where the Lord was helping me grow in humility - to put it another - I was been hit in the face with my pride, and I could choose pride or humility. In many of them I chose humility (but really only because it was so fresh in my mind from just 12 hours ago and I had just gone to confession and everything) - but there were a few times when it was my pride that took over. Did better yesterday, but always growing!
I read at Mass yesterday from Galatians and posted this video, but it's SO amazing, it's worth another listen! Also, a good pneumatic device for remembering the fruits of the spirit. Oh, and I triple, dog dare you not to get this stuck in your head!
I've had my new iPhone 4S for almost 3 weeks now and am SO glad I made this decision because it has completely streamlined my life. I can look at all of my emails, track my food intake (which has lessen those 'healthy snacks' I used to eat), upload things to facebook immediately (usually work related), listen to Podcasts (my latest obsession being The Catholic Guy), get directions quickly with Siri, make myself reminders (of what to do at work, at home, when I get there, at this time, etc...), and so much more - that I cannot even list it all out. I think two things contribute significantly. First, phone has more than 2MB of internal storage (which was seriously the problem before & a lot of that was used for operating system - okay, maybe it was 2GB, but still!). Second, my data plan is still the smallest they offer but it was 150 MB and is now 2GB ... in 14 days I've used 493.15MB - a few more MB than my old plan. So, all in all - excellent investment!
Finally, one of my new favorite apps is Instagram where you can take and edit pictures on your iPhone and then share them with the world. One of my recent takes is this ... a beautiful morning sunrise on my way to get Ash to take her to school!
With that I leave you - have an awesome week! More to come this week for blog posts specifically on how to plan a Holy Hour for teens and how to ... something else, I'm not sure yet, but something!
bye now
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| even on my phone, while driving (i'm ashamed to admit) - one of the best photos i've ever taken! |
bye now
That's a lovely sunset photo. I had spiritual direction this week; it always helps me to put things in perspective and stay on track,
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