The Enlightened Manager

A Letter to My Readers

Hey Enlightened Managers,

I've been off the blog for a few weeks doing some thinking. One of the things I've been thinking about is what to do with this blog. Over the last four years this has been my place to share what I'm learning, explore what it means to be a leader, and learn from all of you through your wonderful comments and email messages.

As my consulting practice has taken off, it's been a challenge to keep the blog going.  I've been frustrated that my posts have felt rather unfocused lately, a kind of scatter-shot of information.  So I'm going to sharpen the focus here a little.

I'll continue to blog about those topics I'm the most passionate about:
1) How to be a better leader or boss.
2) How to improve team dynamics and performance.
3) Strategy and Planning
4) Sharing the "cutting edge" of what I'm learning as a consultant & business owner.

My goal is to return to posting deeper information on these topics, including more multi-part blog posts, podcasts, and webinars.  I may be busy, but I need this little outlet on the internet to keep learning and exploring.   YOU give me a reason to keep plugging away!  Thanks for that. :)

I'll be kicking things off on Thursday with a 4 part series on how to Set Expectations with your Team!

The Emergence of Something Special - Coming Soon.

In business, there are the questions that seem obvious but are anything but.  One of those questions is "Who do I serve?"  It is rarely as simple as it seems.

Over the past three years, I've been serving leaders and teams inside organizations, while enjoying the comraderie and discussion here on the Enlightened Manager. 

One of the things I've realized is that there are a lot of leaders in the world who are left to struggle internally with little support from their organizations.  For every leader with a fantastic mentor and resources, there are twenty trying to make it on their own.  Many of you are swimming against the tide, trying to do the "right things" in a corporate world that seems weird and adversarial.  I continue to be heartened and impressed by the leaders who email me from this blog, telling me about their struggles and experiences.  Your stories help me learn, and light a fire that keeps me writing, and I thank you for that.

So I come back to that question of "Who do I serve?"  And for the leaders who come here because they're looking to better themselves and their teams, I say I'm here to serve you.  And to acknowledge this, I'm redesigning this website with you in mind.

What you'll find at the new Emergenceconsulting.net:

• More free leader tools available for instant download.  (No waiting.)
• A cleaner and more interactive user interface.
• More content, uploaded more frequently.
• Downloadable teambuilding and coaching kits written in plain language.
• Access to content-rich subscriptions, such as weekly leadership workouts, that build your skills at a nominal cost.

Here is my question for you.  What would YOU like to see here?  What kinds of content or resources would get you where you need to go on your leadership journey?   I'd love to hear. 

PS: The site is under construction, with a tentative launch date in August.  Stay tuned!

If you're on Facebook, and you enjoy what you read here, check out out our new fan page.  Fans get updates on events & resources.  Click here.   Thanks!

We've been recognized!

The Enlightened Manager is now part of the Leadership reading room at Alltop.  If you haven't checked them out yet, they have a very interesting assortment of leadership blog feeds.  Click here to go right to the leadership page.

It's nice to see a "human edited" directory of online resources.  Also, if you have a favorite leadership blog (even your own) feel free to make a note of it in the comments section. 

Odds and Ends (Administrivia)

It's been a while since we've posted a business update, so here are some odds and ends from our world for those of you who are curious. 

For those of you who don't care, skip this post and check back in with us in a few days for more content.

The Economy Isn't the Problem, But it's not our Friend Either!
There is a lot of talk in the business community about the impact of the economic slowdown.  Despite the ongoing paranoia about the economy, we find that because we are adding value to our clients, they continue to invite us back for more.  Spending a dollar in development to earn back twenty dollars in retention and productivity improvements continues to be a compelling deal.   Companies that believe employee development matters will continue to invest in it, although possibly at a slower pace over the next couple quarters.

Near Seattle? We'd love to meet you sometime.
It's been a challenge to keep our main website updated with all of our public speaking engagements and workshops.  On November 11th, 2008, we're speaking on Management Coaching Skills (Download nov_08_program.doc) at the Society for Design Administration in downtown Seattle.  Other talks and workshops are forthcoming.   If you'd like to be informed when these happen (and most are in the Pacific Northwest), just let us know.  We also have a half-day coaching intensive scheduled for January 17th.

We're no Longer a One-Woman Show!
Emergence Consulting® continues to grow through the addition of partner consultants.  Over time, I hope to add more information on our partners to the site, and invite them to contribute to the blog as well.  We're lucky to have such talent on our team - and our clients are delighted too.  At this point we're not recruiting more partner consultants (we have some great talent waiting in the wings) but that may change in the future.  If you have something compelling to offer and you're in the pacific northwest - reach out to us.

(Extra credit if you noticed our ®!  Emergence Consulting is now a registered service mark with the US Patent and Trademark Office.   According to our smart legal people, that means we need to start using that little symbol.  Don't worry, we promise not to let it go to our heads!)

New Service Offerings
Adding to our team means adding to the services we can offer.  In addition to our outstanding team and leadership development programs, we now offer the following additional services.

"HR Manager On Call" - Can't afford an HR manager but have the need for HR support?  We now have the capability to connect you with an experienced HR professional who can support you on an as-needed basis.  Use "HR On Call" on either by project or on an ongoing basis.

"Employee Handbooks & Policies"  - We will research and develop a customized employee handbook and/or employee policies for your organization. 

Planning for 2009
Like many of you, we're actively involved in planning for an outstanding 2009, and working out our annual budgets.  It's been a great year so far, and next one will be even better.  Thanks for continuing to be a part of the Enlightened Manager Blog, and making this one of the best places to learn about leadership on the web.

Now, back to the articles!

Cheri Baker
President
Emergence Consulting
Author of The Enlightened Manager Blog

Blog Updates, Contest Details, and another Speaking Engagement

Today's post has a few updates on what is new in the world of Cheri and The Enlightened Manager Blog.

The "Crazy Coworker" story contest is still up for grabs!

A few weeks back, I launched a blog contest to tell "crazy coworker" stories, and I don't have a winner yet.  The field is wide open, so if you are interested in winning a "Manager's Survival Kit" full of fun and informative goodies this is the last call for entries - due by April 20th.  Click here for the contest details. You can email your entry.

If you like this blog, would you tell a friend?

One of my goals for the rest of 2008 is to double the number of readers of this blog.  Right now there are about two hundred daily subscribers, with another one or two hundred visitors per day.  I'm not a blog expert, so I don't know if that is "good" or "bad" but I am hoping to reach more enlightened managers.  If you get a kick out of what you read here, I hope you'll forward the link to a friend or two.  You have my thanks!  (Also, if you have any tips on increasing blog readership I'd be happy to hear them - this isn't my area of expertise.)

Get Free Manager Tools Every Month.

In addition to the weekly articles here, I'm publishing a free manager toolkit each month of the year in my email newsletter.  If you are interested in signing up, email me, and I'll sign you up for the newsletter and also send you the last two toolkits.  (The topics are Leadership Accountability and Employee Development.)

For Seattle-Area Readers:

I'll be speaking at the Lake Washington HR Association Luncheon on July 8th this summer in Bellevue, WA.  If you're in the area, I'd love to meet you there.

Also, any Whidbey Islanders - I'll be on a retreat in May in your neck of the woods. (Literally, I'll be in the woods!) If you'd like to meet for coffee while I'm on the island shoot me an email and we'll set up a chat. 

The invitation to meet and chat is ongoing for Seattle Area folks in general - I'm always thrilled to meet smart local people who are interested in leadership and professional development.

Administrivia

Here are a few administrative updates about the blog and related matters:

1.  The Emergence Consulting homepage has been moved over into the blog format.  If you visit www.emergenceconsulting.net you'll see that there is better integration between the two sites.  If you're inclined to give me any feedback on my new consulting site I'd welcome it via email.

2.  After a lot of thought I've decided to add a monthly email newsletter for my consulting clients.  You are also welcome to subscribe, and the link is on the sidebar.  The main difference between the newsletter and the blog is that the newsletter will include a free toolkit each month as well as information on consulting services.  The toolkits sent out with the newsletter will not be posted on the blog.  The February Toolkit will focus on Accountability.

3.  Over the next several months, I'm going to be adding a small storefront to these pages where people can purchase training materials, booklets, and some other resources I'll be offering.  This blog will continue on as it has (an educational resource), and I promise not to bombard you with a bunch of crap advertising.  But there will be some new resources to check out in the upcoming months - and I welcome your feedback.

4.  If you're local to the Seattle area, I hope you'll consider coming to hear me speak on Change Management at the South King County HR Association on February 21st.  Should be a fun time.

Enough Administrivia... Back to the blog!

Administrivia: Issues with the Blog Feeds

Email Subscribers:

You may have noticed that twice this month you have recieved "old" postings sent to you.  This happened today when the post "Your Boss is not your Dad" was sent out for a second time. I apologize for this.  I'm working with the tech support folks at Typepad and Feedburner to resolve the problem. 

In the meantime, please delete the repeats and accept my apologies for the software glitch which I hope will be repaired very soon.  If the problem continues I'll roll my feed over to a new distributor.

Cheri @ The Enlightened Manager

Upcoming Events, Blog Updates, and an Invitation

Today I have a few reader updates and announcements for the blog.  If you hate updates, don't worry, regular articles will resume shortly. 

Looking for a Few Good Books?

On the left sidebar you'll see a new page where I've listed the "Books that Inspire Me".  If you enjoy what you read here and you'd like to get some of the education that I have received over the years, these texts are good resources for you to explore.

"Wow, I didn't know she was so short!" - Meet Cheri Baker in Person

I am pleased to have a few wonderful speaking engagements lined up for this fall and winter.  If you are local and interested, I'd love to see you there.

On October 11th I'm speaking on "Change Management for HR Professionals" at the Snohomish County HR Association luncheon in Everett.  You can check out the details here.  The price is $25.00 and includes networking and lunch.

On January 8th I'm speaking at the Seattle Chamber's Focus On! Luncheon.  The topic is "Managing Employees in Turbulent Times."  Attendance is open to all chamber members, but if you'd like to attend as a first time visitor you can contact Larry Pike at 206.389.7215 for a ticket.  We expect this one to sell out, so get your tickets early.  The cost is about $25.00 and lunch is included.

On February 21st I am speaking again on "Change Management for HR Professionals" at the South King county HR Association Luncheon.  Keep an eye on the website for registration details.

Join the Discussion on Enlightened Leadership

I'm starting up a peer-coaching group in the Seattle/Redmond area for leaders who are interested in developing themselves into Enlightened Managers.  Topics will include management issues, strategic planning, leadership development, and other areas defined by the group.  Participants will be limited to about 8 people.  There is no fee to participate in this pilot group.  If you are local and interested in joining the discussion, send me email for more information.

Site Redesign

In my never ending quest to improve your online experience (and to support my addiction to Adobe photoshop) both my homepage and the blog have a new easier to read design.

Drop me a note to tell me what you think.  I'm curious.

Blog re-design in Process

Hello Everyone.

I am reorganizing The Enlightened Manager to make it more easily accessible. 

There will be two components to "The Enlightened Manager"

The main site and topical index for easy access to full length articles.   This is better organized than the blog itself, which can be hard to navigate to find older content.

The blog itself for shorter postings, links to the newest content, informal and flippant commentary on the subject of Enlightened leadership, and responses to reader questions.

Cheri Baker, SPHR
Emergence Consulting LLC & The Enlightened Manager