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Author: Dana Pope

Dana Pope is a Project Management Specialist at i5 Services, overseeing CONNEX and Manufacturers Marketplace.

Dana is a published writer and professional speaker. She is a freelance writer, editor, in-depth researcher, and proofreader. She is well-rounded with her background in writing, language, business, philosophy, theology, retail, science, education, current issues, and communication. Her field is miscommunicationology.

She is a philologist, defined in Webster’s original dictionary as, “Primarily, a love of words, or a desire to know the origin and construction of language; in a more general sense.” Her attitude is “There’s always something to learn.”

Dana studies words and their meanings and has achieved a genius vocabulary level.  Her book, “Who's Changing the Meaning?” is about the definitions of words changing and the implications it has on us socially, creating miscommunication and chaos. In it, she discusses how the new definitions affect writings and speeches from long ago, like The Declaration of Independence or Dr. Martin Luther King's “I Have a Dream” speech to today's issues.

Dana is a charter C-Suite Network member and serves on the Decision Making Team of the C-Suite Manufacturing Council.

She actively blogs on current topics, creates content for courses, and improves the writing of others.

Expertise in Miscommunicationology, Thinker, Philologist, Writer, Editor, Blogger, In-depth researcher.

“A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.” unknown

www.danalynnpope.com|Dana Pope is a Project Management Specialist at i5 Services, overseeing CONNEX and Manufacturers Marketplace.

Dana is a published writer and professional speaker. She is a freelance writer, editor, in-depth researcher, and proofreader. She is well-rounded with her background in writing, language, business, philosophy, theology, retail, science, education, current issues, and communication. Her field is miscommunicationology.

She is a philologist, defined in Webster’s original dictionary as, “Primarily, a love of words, or a desire to know the origin and construction of language; in a more general sense.” Her attitude is “There’s always something to learn.”

Dana studies words and their meanings and has achieved a genius vocabulary level.  Her book, “Who's Changing the Meaning?” is about the definitions of words changing and the implications it has on us socially, creating miscommunication and chaos. In it, she discusses how the new definitions affect writings and speeches from long ago, like The Declaration of Independence or Dr. Martin Luther King's “I Have a Dream” speech to today's issues.

Dana is a charter C-Suite Network member and serves on the Decision Making Team of the C-Suite Manufacturing Council.

She actively blogs on current topics, creates content for courses, and improves the writing of others.

Expertise in Miscommunicationology, Thinker, Philologist, Writer, Editor, Blogger, In-depth researcher.

“A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.” unknown

www.danalynnpope.com|Dana Pope is a Project Management Specialist at i5 Services, overseeing CONNEX and Manufacturers Marketplace.

Dana is a published writer and professional speaker. She is a freelance writer, editor, in-depth researcher, and proofreader. She is well-rounded with her background in writing, language, business, philosophy, theology, retail, science, education, current issues, and communication. Her field is miscommunicationology.

She is a philologist, defined in Webster’s original dictionary as, “Primarily, a love of words, or a desire to know the origin and construction of language; in a more general sense.” Her attitude is “There’s always something to learn.”

Dana studies words and their meanings and has achieved a genius vocabulary level.  Her book, “Who's Changing the Meaning?” is about the definitions of words changing and the implications it has on us socially, creating miscommunication and chaos. In it, she discusses how the new definitions affect writings and speeches from long ago, like The Declaration of Independence or Dr. Martin Luther King's “I Have a Dream” speech to today's issues.

Dana is a charter C-Suite Network member and serves on the Decision Making Team of the C-Suite Manufacturing Council.

She actively blogs on current topics, creates content for courses, and improves the writing of others.

Expertise in Miscommunicationology, Thinker, Philologist, Writer, Editor, Blogger, In-depth researcher.

“A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.” unknown

www.danalynnpope.com

Categories
Culture Growth News and Politics Personal Development

We The People Vote But Does It Count?

What happened to our voting system? It used to be that we, the people voted by mailing in our votes before the actual voting day, early vote, or vote at the polls the day of. Sitting in front of our televisions we found out the results of the election that night or early the next morning. No longer do we have a voting day. It is now a voting week or more. We the people voted, but did it count?

This year after the polls closed, the outcome of several positions including The President of the United States is still unknown. We have more technology connected to voting than ever before, yet we did not receive the results faster than when they were hand-counted.

Mail-in Votes

One of the problems causing the delay is allowing mail-in votes after election day. An excuse we are given is that the US Post Office has trouble getting the mailed votes in on time. Though, not an issue in the last decade, somehow it is now. Is it actually a Post Office problem?

A mail-in ballot is available to those who choose this way to cast their votes, by requesting to receive one. People fill out the ballot and mail it in. Obviously, we all know that in election years the official voting day is the first Tuesday in November. We want to be counted so why would anyone wait.

Unnecessarily, we wait for the results. In the past, we required to have the votes in on or by election day. Why we extended this deadline does not compute. Except for this year because of COVID-19, we all know that our taxes are due by April 15th. The IRS is firm on their rulings, so we do not miss the deadline. Why isn’t voting the same way?

Yet, this year we extended our absentee ballot due date. With all this technology we cannot get the votes in on time and counted efficiently. Surely, the voters want their ballot counted so their motivation is to send them in on or before time.

Instead, as the votes are counted, we observe data dumps in which candidate results are flipped. We also notice a number of votes for candidates disappearing during the counting delays. This is not about late absentee ballots coming in. It is about extending the date for accepting ballots, opening up the possibility of adjusting the results. The extra time allows for higher accessibility for tampering to occur.

The People Wait

The delay in getting the election results in itself, creates a problem, the waiting. While Americans are watching the process with no outcome, frustration and insecurity build as we wonder if our votes are counted correctly. We sit and stew, hearing different excuses for what is going on, realizing that our voting system is broken and our voices are not being heard.

In several close races like The President of the United States, results are still not available. That is disturbing. We watch as the process is manipulated, become aware of suspicious count movements, and observe scenes of legal counting procedures not being followed. What does that tell us about the current system?

The People’s Vote

Voting results so far reveal that Americans are split. We as a nation are divided, a major red flag. There is so much discord in our government it has severed the people instead of bringing us together. Again, the dinosaurs in our government are interested in getting their way instead of helping its people.

Is it time to address term limits, pulling out of office those who work around the system, to fight for themselves? The people will have a chance to elect those who understand the focus – the American people. Is it time to dissolve the two parties and have just one?

The Leaders Actions

A glaring tell is during the State of the Union. Each year half of the room sits when the President is speaking while the other half stands since he is in their party. The politicians have lost respect for the office. When our leader speaks, whether you voted for him or not, you stand up. My candidates have not always won but the office of the President is still the office.

You might have noticed that Democrats and Republicans lately have not put up any worthwhile successors. Are there no capable candidate – material people? Possibly, the best candidates choose not to run because, like the police, they are constantly being attacked. These are clues to be aware of. How can the people work together while we watch our leaders pull further apart!

“It is hardly too strong to say that

the Constitution was made to guard the people

 against the dangers of intentions.

There are men in all ages who mean to govern well,

but they mean to govern.

They promise to be good masters, but they mean to be masters.”

– Daniel Webster

In due course, from this election, the American people will realize we are a country divided. We need changes in our legislative system. The House and Senate are fighting on their issues and not solving matters for the people.

The People First

For example, during this year’s campaign one of the biggest issues, at least in the top two is the environment. At a time like this is that such an important issue? What about vital issues like COVID-19, Americans out of work, the supply chain is fractured so products are not available. These are the concerns of the American people. The environment can wait.

The first priority is the American people. Sure, there is an environmental problem and an illegal immigrant problem. Now is not the time to sue each other. Americans are hurting so some matters can wait. Take care of our citizens first and put the rest aside. To our leaders, pull together and help us!

How the People React

The American people have been decidedly vocal about our government, which is our right. Unfortunately, it is to the point of anger turning to violence. If our leaders cannot work together and stop their childish displays of actions and words, what is the likelihood of our citizens changing? I’m talking about the Democrats and the Republicans, it is a whole issue, not a party issue. This is not about what side a voter is on. This is about our American right to decide who we want to vote for. Government processes are taking that right away from us.

 People of America

Our government is not going to change. We, the people produce change. It is our duty to correct our government, admonish our media, and help our citizens. We are in this together and the only ones willing to work on it, the only ones that care about us. The politicians are not going to pull it together. The American people can and must.

“Loyalty to country ALWAYS.

Loyalty to government, when it deserves it.”

Mark Twain

Voice of the People to be Heard

We can create change by working together to build each other up and not tear each other down. Riots and protest marches have been tried and do not work. Engaging in verbal and physical fights is not how to fix problems. Only pulling together will produce change.

We start now. It is necessary for us to communicate better with each other. Communication only occurs when the listener understands what the speaker meant, not by interpreting what they thought the speaker meant. When something speaks and you do not agree with them or you feel challenged, don’t judge. Find out where you differ by exchanging information. Nothing will ever become altered if we do not open up conversations among ourselves. To turn our country around, stop pointing fingers and respect each other.

“A patriot must always be ready

 to defend his country against his government.”

Edward Abbey – American author and essayist

We the People

Times have changed. Our leaders are not working for us. It is necessary to pull together to reform our political system. It is our duty to admonish the media, which contrives to keep the people divided. The answer to our problems is up to us, and by working together we reestablish our government.

You are either a solution to a problem or a source of the problem. It starts today! America needs a solution and we the people are it.

Categories
Growth News and Politics Personal Development

Dinosaurs are Running Free and Most are in DC

Just when we thought dinosaurs are extinct, we find that to be false. Theories point to the weather being too hot or too cold, or the sea level dropped, or a large asteroid was the cause of their demise some 65 million years ago. However, we are now aware that dinosaurs are alive, running free, and most of them are in DC.

There is a considerable chance you already guessed that I’m referring to the members of the Senate and the House of Representatives. However, you may not agree with my correlation. I’ll walk you through my thought process.

Dinosaurs Aren’t Just Large Reptiles

Ordinarily, the word dinosaur immediately prompts images of large reptiles like Tyrannosaurs, Sauropods, Triceratops, Raptors, etc. The definition of dinosaur is more than that.

There are two definitions of the word dinosaur, the second being; “something that is unwieldy in size, anachronistically outmoded, or unable to adapt to change.” That’s a mouthful so it requires a breakdown in order to fully understand what it states.

The term unwieldy is defined as; unmanageable, uncontrollable, burdensome. Apply that to our senators and representatives. Through their actions, they repeatedly show how they focus on their agenda without taking into account the needs of the people they represent. In their mind, they have a plan and will not listen to other reasoning.

Running Free

The definition of anachronistically is; “something or someone that is not in its correct historical or chronological time, especially a thing or person that belongs to an earlier time.” Members of the house and senate are not able to react quickly to current needs as they assert tactics to get their agendas pushed through.

An approval for say funding for COVID-19 medicine makes it to the floor. One party wants a school funding clause added to it in order for them to vote yes. This fictional example shows what needs to be addressed immediately is hampered by what was their quest before. Dinosaurs are more interested in their overall plan than react to current issues.

Senators and Representatives

This slight exaggeration reveals how both Congress and the House of Representatives are unmanageable, uncontrollable, focused on the past, and disconnected from the needs of the people. That is the definition of a dinosaur.

Most are in DC

Now you understand how I arrived at the statement that dinosaurs are running free and most of them are in DC, let’s check the statistics.  I created two charts; one is the current list of US Senators and the other is the current list of the House of Representatives from Wikipedia.org.

The lists contain the member’s name, the date they assumed the office, and the number of years they have served. I created these charts with only that information since this is not about who people like or dislike, democrats or republicans, not even what state they are from. This is in reference to the amount of time each member has been in office.

Is there a correlation between the amount of time served in an office to the creation of a dinosaur? The charts are shocking as to the number of years some members have served; 19 years, 29 years, 39 years, even 47 years.

The List Reveals Dinosaurs

I scrolled down the list and saw the extended length of service of some in office. This led me to deduce that dinosaurs are running free and most are in DC. Read down the chart and ask yourself, how far down the list do you get before becoming comfortable with the amount of time someone has been in office?

List of US Senators

List of US House of Representatives

Categories
Best Practices Growth Management Skills

240 Pages by 2 Hours Equals a Book

I Couldn’t Read Them All Until Now

Outside of writing, I am happiest when I’m reading. My preference is non-fiction since I love learning and my writing genre is non-fiction. Every so often I pick up a fiction book to expose myself to colorful words and phrases. It helps my writing and I love a well-written mystery. I adore books, however; I can’t read enough of them. Then I discovered that 240 pages by 2 hours equal a book. I couldn’t read them all until now.

240 Pages by 2 Hours Equals a Book

I found an article by Jesse Wisnewski on “How to Read a 240-Page Book in 2 Hours.” Of course, I was intrigued. I couldn’t wait to read the 12-minute article which would take me 20 minutes.

Published in medium.com, a site I also write for, Jesse states; “Based on a speed-reading survey by Staples, the average reading speed is 300 words per minute.” A college student reads 450 wpm, high-level execs read 575 wpm, and speed readers crank out 1,500 wpm. Sounds interesting but how fast do I read.

Your Reading Speed

Wisnewski’s link above is where you test your speed. I took the test and found I read 180 words per minute, a score between a 3rd-grade student level and an 8th grader.  Wow, that’s bad. I type faster than that.

When I read, I sound out every word, thirsting to capture the meaning of the author. At that speed, I will never read all the books I desire. Currently, I have volumes staring at me, calling my name, I hear you, I want to read you!

240 Pages by 2 Hours Formula

Wisnewski’s article goes on to show the calculation of how long it will take to read certain books. It involves:

  1. Counting the number of words per line for 4 lines and divide by 4.
  2. Read for 1 minute then count the number of lines you read.
  3. Multiply the number of lines you read (#2) by the words per line (#1). That’s how many words you read per minute.

How Long Will it Take You?

Now that you know how fast you read you can calculate the time it will take you to read books. Wisnewski’s article provides a chart from NPR’s Fresh Air on how long it takes to read certain books. Based on an average of 300 words per minute, here are a few examples:

The Kite Runner                                                           5.95 hours                      107,052 words

Little Women                                                              10.21 hours                     183,833 words

The Hunger Games series                                         16.75 hours                     301,583 words

Twilight Saga                                                               31.98 hours                     575,710 words

The Bible                                                                      43.79 hours                     788,280 words

Harry Potter series                                                     60.23 hours                     1,084,170 words

Game of Thrones series                                            98.33 hours                     1,770,000 words

I Couldn’t Read Them All Before

With a reading score of 180, I decided to step up my game. Wisnewski’s article reveals how to increase reading speed. Consequently, I put into practice his technique and it works. I found that by reading faster I grasp the meaning clearer by reason of reading in bunches instead of crawling through like a snail.

I don’t read every book like this. There are some that I want to linger in and enjoy the ride. Usually, I read non-fiction where this method works well. However, if I read Yuval Noah Harari or Deepak Chopra I slow down to work through and mark the material.

Now It’s Possible to Read Them All

Jesse Wisnewski’s article, “How to Read a 240 Page Book in 2 Hours” makes it possible to experience all the books I have sitting on my shelves. Putting his principles to work I now read faster. I couldn’t read them all until now. My record before learning this technique was 69 books in a year. Let’s see if I can reach 100. It’s possible now that I know 240 pages by 2 hours equal a book. How many books would you like to read in a year?

Categories
Culture Growth Health and Wellness

What Happens When You Twist Language

This Sounds Like the Beginning of a Joke

One of my favorite children’s book series is Amelia Bedelia. It involves a housekeeper named Amelia Bedelia who works for the Rogers family. She is always getting things wrong, even though Amelia does what she is told to do. The result is never what the Rogers family wants, yet if you look at what Amelia did it is exactly what Mrs. Rogers said. When Mrs. Rogers asks Amelia to draw the drapes, she is asking Amelia to close the drapes. Amelia proceeds to draw a picture of the drapes, which is exactly what she is told to do. The words are correct yet the language gets twisted.

Language

The twist of words makes the story comical. It also shows how our language can be used for more than communicating one person to another. According to Webster’s First American Dictionary, language is defined as; “human speech; the use of words or sounds to articulate the thoughts of one person to another.”

Our language is one of our most used tools to convey a message. We are also able to maneuver the language for amusement to create jokes. It’s an ingenious and harmless way of interaction.  Words spoken with a funny anecdote produce laughter.

Joke

There are three parts to a joke; the setup, the punch line, and the tag (adding more punch lines using the same setup). What makes the antic humorous is throwing the listener off guard by relating the setup to something ridiculous. Jokes are a clever way to use our language to give an unexpected message. It’s the change in direction that makes a joke funny.

For Example:

Joke #1 Two guys walk into a bar. You would think the second one would’ve seen it.

Joke #2 Husband/Wife

One night while in bed the husband wakes the wife and says, ‘I can’t sleep.’ The wife responds back, ‘Sure you can; I’ve seen you do it.’

Twisted Language

The listener is thinking the information is heading in a certain direction, yet twisting the language brings a surprise the listener wasn’t expecting. That’s what makes jokes funny.

Language is how we communicate to convey a message. It is also capable of being twisted in a way that produces a joke. Who thought words could be fun.

Categories
Biography and History Culture Growth Management News and Politics Personal Development

2019 WOTY and NEOLOGISM…WHAT?

2019 WOTY and Neologism

The Word of the Year for 2019 is “existential” or “climate emergency” or “climate strike” or my personal favorite, “they;” depending on where you search. Each year a group of linguists from different organizations; i.e. Merriam-Webster, Oxford Languages, Collins Dictionary, dictionary.com, and the American Dialect Society, among others, pick their word of the year. Sometimes abbreviated WOTY, the word of the year is a singular word or expression that is significant to the public.

Linguists study the science and utilization of language. Their attention is on public practice of the term or expression and how it interfaces with the real-world. To become the Word of the Year, linguists consider the most searched words, the ones that have a significant spike from the previous year, and do they have lasting potential.

Merriam-Webster

The 2019 Word of the Year for Merriam Webster is they, having a 313% spike in searches over the previous year. Moreover, there is a shift in the way they is used, which lured people to their dictionaries to hunt for the current definition. The first definition states, “those people, animals, or things,” and the second meaning is, “used to refer to people in a general way or to a group of people who are not specified.”

As stated by Merriam-Webster, “English famously lacks a gender-neutral singular pronoun to correspond neatly with singular pronouns like everyone or someone, and as a consequence, they has been used for this purpose for over 600 years.” Now in the place of the word “he or she,” the singular pronoun to use is “them or they,” which is preferred in professional writing.

Oxford Languages and Collins Dictionary

The Oxford Word of the Year for 2019 is climate emergency, and Collins Dictionary chose climate strike.  One of the expressions represents a situation and the other designates an action, so I will address them together. Climate emergency is, “a situation in which urgent action is required to reduce or halt climate change and avoid potentially irreversible environmental damage resulting from it.” Climate strike is “a form of protest in which people absent themselves from education or work in order to join demonstrations demanding action to counter climate change.” Both expressions show that the environment is an ongoing concern being disseminated in the headlines.

dictionary.com

The WOTY for dictionary.com is existential, defined as, “of or relating to existence…concerned with the nature of human existence as determined by the individual’s freely made choices.” The word captures the struggle to survive, as topics of climate change and gun violence dominate our attention. It begs us to ask big questions of, why are we here, and what choices will extend our life beyond our self.

Altogether, dictionary.com added over 300 words, expressions, and acronyms this past year. Known as a neologism, defined as, “a new word, meaning, usage, or phrase; the introduction or use of new words or new senses of existing words.” Linguists consider how current words are being utilized and if used on a massive scale. Though the words have been around a while, in 2019 they were added to the dictionary. Here are a few examples.

Words Added to the Dictionary in 2019

In Conversations:

Deep Dive: “a thorough or comprehensive analysis of a subject or issue.”

Infodump: “a large quantity of backstory, or background information, supplied at once.”

Elevator Pitch: “a brief talk or pitch intended to sell or win approval for something.”

On Social Media:

Shitposting: “a form of trolling when someone ‘posts off-topic,’ false, or offensive contributions to an online forum with the intent to derail the discussions or provoke other participants.”

Crybullies: “a person who self-righteously harasses or intimidates others while playing the victim, especially of a perceived social injustice.”

It’s a good idea to add these two expressions to your vocabulary so you are able to call out people for what they are doing with their social media comments.

As far as acronyms go, here are two dictionary additions: JSYK: “just so you know,” and JOMO: “joy of missing out.”

Past Words of the Year

An interesting exercise is looking up Past Words of the Year to grasp what happened at the time; it’s like a walk-through history.

1992: not! – as in just kidding

1993: information superhighway

1994: cyber, morph

1995: web

1996: mom – as in soccer mom

1997: millennium bug

1998: e- – as in e-mail or e-commerce

1999: Y2K

2000: chad – Florida voting

2001: 9-11

2002: weapons of mass destruction

2003: metrosexual

2004: red state, blue state, purple state – as in 2004 US presidential election

2005: truthiness – from The Colbert Report

2006: plutoed – as in devalued like the planet Pluto

2007: Subprime – below a prime rate

2008: bailout – stock market crash

2009: tweet

2010: app

2011: tergiversate – as in changing opinions like politicians, the stock market, and public polls

2012: hashtag

2013: privacy – Facebook

2014: exposure – having all your information out there

2015: identity – big brother is watching

2016: xenophobia – fear of people of other cultures

2017: fake news – President Trump’s phrase

2018: misinformation – media’s skewed reporting

You can check the definitions of these words on dictionary.com.

American Dialect Society

By the way, The American Dialect Society has been announcing the Word of the Year longer than any organization, and they take it even further. The society chooses the Word for the End of the Decade, Word of the 20th Century, and Word of the Past Millennium. As with the WOTY, we can determine what transpired at that time.

Word of the Decade:      1990s: web        2000s: google (verb)      2010s: they (singular)

Word of the 20th Century:   jazz

Word of the Past Millennium:   she

Examining the Word of the Year provides a history lesson, recalling what happened during that year, and revealing what was the focus. Our language is not a static entity; it requires linguists to update the dictionaries by adding new words, and managing the definitions changed by the times. The English Language is integral for us to communicate, as long as we understand the meaning.

I wonder what the 2020 Word of the Year will be? Maybe it will be hoarding.

Categories
Best Practices Growth Health and Wellness

You are the Reason Your Most Essential Team Fails

A team is defined as a number of persons associated in some joint action. You drive on roads and highways with other vehicles around. Driving is the joint action you have in common with the other motorists which, creates a team. The team’s purpose is to land at their destination traversing safely through road traffic until reaching the target. This is your most essential team and you are the reason your team is failing.

Unfortunately, some of your group is focused only on themselves. Their goal is to arrive where they want, not taking into consideration the team. They swerve between cars, tailgate the vehicle in front of them, and slow traffic by driving in the left-hand lane even though cars are trying to pass. Conversely, the rogue colleagues become frustrated when they can’t pass their colleagues. To accommodate these actions, other drivers must step on their brake.

Someone stepping on their brake signals they are reducing speed. Causes for that action are approaching an intersection, a slower vehicle, and of course, his teammate that just cut in front of him. The car behind who sees the brake lights come on instinctively presses on his brake. Consequently, this starts a chain reaction with other vehicles who also observe the brake lights. The name for this is a Phantom Traffic Jam.

Mysterious Phenomenon

The mysterious phenomenon occurs when you are driving in traffic which has slowed down. When you finally reach the spot where the traffic lets up, there is nothing there. The mystery developed by the car that originally stepped on his brake. The amount of distance the lead car broke the speed determines how far back it affects the cars behind it. Accordingly, the longer the depressing of the brake the farther back it will disrupt cars.

It became necessary for the lead car to hit his brake to avoid the vehicle that cut in front of him, making it appear that the backup is not his fault unless he didn’t have enough space between himself and the car to his front. Following too closely causes the need to step on the brake, creating the backflow. As the traffic slows ahead, the more space between cars will allow the driver to take his foot off the accelerator to slow down without necessarily stepping on his brake. Consequently, the vehicles behind will follow suit and reduce speed without braking.

Team Essentials

Back away from the vehicle in front of you, creating greater space so if a car does cut in it will not interrupt your speed. By reducing the number of times brake lights illume will create a steady flow that you and your team will benefit from. Smooth travel leads to safer driving. Believe it or not, tailgating is a ticket-able offense.  Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

Moreover, a team should allow their partners to proceed. Instead of being annoyed when someone wants to pass, let them go. You are partners with the same goal; arrive at your destination posthaste, not hamper your allies advance. Here’s an idea: when they pass, increase your speed and fall in behind them. If there is a speed trap ahead, your colleague will get busted not you. If that driver wants to travel at a faster pace, take advantage of it. (Surely, I jest?)

The Team’s Biggest Failing

Now let’s look at the biggest reason your most essential team is failing; driving in the wrong lane. The following is from the “Uniform Vehicle Code; Driving on the Right Side of Roadway.” (It happens to be Texas’ code, yet other states read similar to this.)

The code explains: a driver on a roadway shall drive on the right half of the roadway unless the operator is passing another vehicle, there is a hazard, or vehicles have pulled to a stop on the right-hand edge of the roadway. That explains when it becomes necessary to leave the right lane. The next part of the code is where your team breaks down.

An operator of a vehicle on a roadway moving more slowly than the normal speed of other vehicles at the time and place under the existing conditions shall drive in the right-hand lane available for vehicles, or as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway, unless the operator is:

(1)  passing another vehicle; or

(2)  preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway.

The code goes on to state; “This law refers to the “normal” speed of traffic, not the “legal” speed of traffic. The 60 MPH driver in a 55 MPH zone where everybody else is going 65 MPH must move right.” Statutes of the State of Texas

The Left-Lane Driver

Let’s unpack this. A motorist moving slower than the speed of other vehicles is to drive in the right-hand lane. Slower traffic is to yield to the faster traffic by getting out of the left lane. Vehicles not passing anyone on their right start to back-up traffic. A driver approaches the slow vehicle so he passes on the right, reaches a slow driver in the right lane, and gets trapped between the left and right lane drivers.

Another car comes along trying to pass the slow car in the left-hand lane and gets stuck behind it. Consequently, more cars become buried. All at the fault of the left-lane driver who doesn’t migrate to the right lane, allowing them to pass. When in the right lane and you encounter a car moving slower, maneuver safely around them, and proceed back to the right lane. This is a reason your most essential team is failing. Change it by working as a team.

I know some of you are saying, that’s a hassle. Do you know what that is called? Driving. The definition of driving is, “to guide the movement of a vehicle; to go or travel in a vehicle.” It involves moving the wheel, using turn signals, being aware of what is around you, and changing lanes. If you are not doing these actions you are not driving; making you more likely to be the cause of an accident.

The Meat of the Uniform Vehicle Code

The next part of the Uniform Vehicle Code is extremely interesting: “This law refers to the “normal” speed of traffic, not the “legal” speed of traffic. The 60 MPH driver in a 55 MPH zone where everybody else is going 65 MPH must move right.” It doesn’t matter what speed you are going if vehicles are moving faster than you the code states you are to pull over to the right. Transfer out of the left lane(s) to the right lane, and let others proceed. This one change alone will transform how much time you and your teammates arrive at their destination. It takes a joint action of the team to make this work. My preference is, if you aren’t even going the speed limit on an open road, don’t leave the right lane. We collaborate to keep traffic moving.

Admittedly, when I drive my speed is “move out of the way,” which means I’ll be passing you on your left. The times when the left-hand lane driver doesn’t pull over, I pass on the right and usually wave at them. I like to let my teammate know that despite them I am making my way. (Believe it or not, passing on the right is legal; it’s just more dangerous.)

Team Insight From Failing

The most essential team you are on is driving and your meetings are held on the roadways. Everyone longs to achieve the same goal; arrive at their destination quickly and safely. The plan should be a coordinated effort on the part of everyone in your team, all drivers, for a joint coalition to enable the group to work smoothly. One person not willing to follow the plan will corrupt the system. Each accident delays you and no one likes being in meetings longer than necessary. To reach the team’s goal involves the realization that we are colleagues, acting in the interest of a common cause. Subsequently, the result will be everyone getting to their destination quicker.

Achieving the goal is possible, as long as the team pulls together instead of working to their advantage. Traffic jams are a problem we can all solve. Will the team succeed and make its goal or will it keep failing! That depends on YOU!

Categories
Best Practices Growth Health and Wellness

What Someone Else’s Sickness Costs You

It’s disturbing witnessing the number of people out and about who show signs of the flu. They cough, sneeze and look like they have been run over by a train. It’s not just the adults. A parent will be shopping with their child who’s wiping his nose, has a fever and coughs like it is coming straight out of his chest. Along with that, the child picks up everything in sight.

Why do they think this is acceptable! Today people have the attitude of taking care of themselves, not think about the effect on others. In the end, it hurts them too.

Influenza, (also known as the “flu”) is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. Common symptoms are: comes on quickly, fever, aches, chills, fatigue, cough, headache, sometimes along with sneezing, stuffy nose, and sore throat.

The CDC estimates that so far this season there have been at least 9.7 million flu illnesses, 87,000 hospitalizations and 4,800 deaths from flu. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

This year, influenza B is predominant. The strain affects children more than adults. Usually, the season starts with influenza A, which affects older adults more than children.  With influenza B, the result is more cases of child flu and fewer cases of elderly adults.

With the perspective of lookout for your self-interest, people will show up to work even when they are sick. They believe others need to care for themselves, it’s not their concern. The outcome is that you are putting yourself in a position of risk that will cost you more than taking a day or two off work.

Let’s look at a scenario: You have the flu and don’t stay home on the grounds that you can’t afford to miss work financially. In your case, you bring the flu virus to the office and affect others. Probably okay for you since it didn’t hurt you.

Now reverse that. You can’t afford to take days off from work. Your coworker comes to work with the flu and you catch it from him. Now you are forced to visit the doctor, incur expenses, and miss a few days of work, causing loss of wages. Subsequently, his decision to come to work sick makes it your problem.

Even if you only have a cold, with a hacking cough, fatigue, and a slight fever. Your immune system weakens, making you susceptible to catching the flu from a coworker who didn’t stay home when they should have. Consequently, you catch the flu.

This is the same thing that happens with children. Your child is coughing, running a fever, feels achy, and has low energy, yet you take him out in public. He contaminates others, which causes an outbreak in his school, at his friend’s house, even in the community.

Conversely, your child has a hacking cough, sneezing, runny nose, and you have him out in public. His immune system is more susceptible to catching a virus. He becomes exposed to someone who did not keep their child home, so he catches the flu. Their selfish action caused your child to become infected. You’re now heading to the doctor’s office, and have no choice but to take a couple of days off to care for your child. This will continue unless people take into account both sides of the situation, and examine the consequences.

The moral of the story is, if you or your child are sick, stay home. Not for reason that it is the right thing to do, which it is; it’s the only way to protect yourself and your children. You will avoid trips to the doctor, paying for medications and feeling miserable. In the end, that’s what costs you more.

For your Information:

The Difference Between a Cold and the Flu

 

Signs and Symptoms Cold Influenza (Flu)
Symptom onset Gradual Abrupt
Fever Rare Usual; lasts 3-4 days
Aches Slight Usual; often severe
Chills Uncommon Fairly common
Fatigue, weakness Sometimes Usual
Sneezing Common Sometimes
Chest discomfort, cough Mild to moderate; hacking cough Common; can be severe
Stuffy nose Common Sometimes
Sore throat Common Sometimes
Headache Rare Common

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Categories
Best Practices Culture Growth Personal Development

I Kept My 2019 New Year’s Resolution

It’s that time again! The dawn of a new year brings about the desire to start fresh, begin again, and bring about changes in our life. At the onset, we reflect on what we accomplished, review how we ended 2019, and decide where we want to go. It’s a revivifying time, enabling us to reset and begin anew. One way to jumpstart the process is to make a New Year’s resolution.

Research shows that “while as many as 45-percent of Americans say they usually make New Year’s resolutions, only 8 percent are successful in achieving their goals.” www.history.com

Very few follow through with their resolutions. The following shows what typically happens:

Only 75% of people make it past the first week.

Only 71% make it past 2 weeks.

Only 64% make it past 1 month.

Only 46% make it past 6 months.

By the end of the year, only 8% of people have kept their resolution.

“In other words: the people who make good resolutions at the new year have given up on them by the end of June.” Proactive Mindfulness

So why make a New Year’s Resolution if we aren’t going to keep it. Because it’s fun? To see how long we can make it? The reason we make a resolution each year is Hope; New Year’s resolutions are about Hope.

Webster’s First American Dictionary defines hope as: “a desire of some good, accompanied with at least a slight expectation of obtaining it, or a belief that it is obtainable…Hope therefore always gives pleasure or joy.” It’s Hope that brings us joy about what can be, consequently, we resolve to change at the start of a new year.

At the end of 2018, I heard on the radio that going to a movie once a month will make a person happier. It sounded like a great idea so I made my 2019 resolution exactly that. I would go to a movie in a theater once a month for the entire year. To you, it might sound easy, but for me it was difficult.

I had not been to a movie in a very long time. Partly because I couldn’t sit still for 2 – 3 hours and partly because there wasn’t anything I wanted to see. Along with that, when I would happen to see a movie, it was with someone else and wasn’t one I would pick to watch.

Nevertheless, I wanted this to be my New Year’s Resolution so I had to make it attractive to me. I decided that I would go to the movies I wanted to see and was delighted to go by myself.

January came and before I knew it the date was January 30th. I didn’t want to fail the first month and be part of the 46% who don’t keep a resolution for more than a month. I got up and went to a late showing on January 31st.

Suddenly it was February 28th and I had not seen a movie for the month. Consequently, I made it to a movie that night. This happened in March and April too. Each month I would race to a movie so I wouldn’t fail with my resolution.

For the most part, when I would attend a late movie, I was either the only one in the theater or one of a couple of people. That was perfect for me. In May I decided to attend a movie during the day when people were at work. Still few to no people in the theater.

Next June came and schools were out for summer break. I was not excited about attending movies with kids in the audience because of the distractions. I changed my plan and just went to movies around 11 pm, or ones that were rated “R”.  Not hardcore “R” but movies like “Late Night.”

By now I was halfway through the year and had become one of the 46% of people who kept their resolution that long. Once school started up again, I was able to go back to my original plan. Each month I saw another movie, attending my last one on December 10th.

I was now one of the 8% of people who kept their New Year’s Resolution! It was exhilarating that I had made it. I reflected on what I had accomplished. Whether it was attending a movie monthly or not, I am happier than I was a year ago.

Some of the movies were satisfactory, some fell short, and a few were great. The interesting thing is that the movie I saw in January, “Cheney”, was the best one all year.

At the close of 2019, I heard on the radio that people who want to be more mobile and enhance their memory should learn a dance routine once a week. Both outcomes were very appealing. Just one thing was standing in my way; the pressure knowing I had completed my 2019 resolution so anything less than keeping my next resolution would be a failure. I thought about how I could change the pledge to learn one dance routine a month, making it achievable. Taking on too much would diminish my hope of completing the goal.

I spent some time pondering what I wanted to accomplish in 2020. More than anything, I wanted more writing exposure through blogging, and I wanted to make one-minute long videos. For that to happen, it was necessary to make it my focus.

Resolutions are about hope – “A desire of some good, accompanied with at least a slight expectation of obtaining it, or a belief that it is obtainable.” Accomplishing my writing and video goals is more than a dream; I yearn for it. Last year I achieved my goal. I see now that by making a resolution I can succeed. So here goes:

My 2020 New Year’s Resolution

I will post weekly, write a minimum of two articles per month, and make one video blog in January, two in February, and three from March on. I know I can do it. Now that it’s out there you can hold me accountable.

As for learning a new dance routine once a month, there is always 2021.

Categories
Growth Human Resources Leadership Personal Development Taxes

What’s Going to Save you From the Mid-Year Tax Changes?

The 2019 Mid-Year Tax changes eliminated or drastically reduced tax incentives and deductions that businesses depend on. Some of the tax changes took effect in 2018 and also impact the filing of 2019 taxes. In particular, The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) added dozens of tax changes that directly affect businesses. These changes are incentives and deductions that firms use to offset their tax liability.

Although, according to the IRS, “The new law changed tax rates and brackets, revised business expense deductions, increased the standard deduction, removed personal exemptions, increased the Child Tax Credit and limited or discontinued certain deductions.” www.irs.gov. Those deductions are what businesses have counted on for years.

Making it to the chopping block, here are a few deductions that have been eliminated:

Moving expenses deduction, Mileage rebated deduction, Entertainment deductions, Transportation fringe benefits, Corporate AMT, and NOL carryover, to name a few. Not only do we lose them, but we have to discover what each of them proposes.

Here is an example pertaining to entertainment. “The new law generally eliminated the deduction for entertainment, amusement or recreation expenses. But, taxpayers can continue to deduct 50 percent of the cost of business meals if an employee of the taxpayer — is present and the food or beverages aren’t lavish or extravagant.” www.irs.gov. We are noticing terms like those being used more often. What is considered lavish, extravagant, or a fringe benefit? It’s our responsibility to ascertain how the IRS defines them.

Now let’s look at what has been drastically reduced:

Tax brackets, Standard deductions, Charitable contribution deductions, State and local tax deduction capped at $10k from unlimited, Office snacks and meals, Like-kind exchange, Excess business loss limitations, Depreciation for luxury vehicles and more. Again, how does the IRS define what each means? How much is a business going to have to make up for from losing these deductions? These changes will affect the filing of 2019 and future returns and don’t count on any of them coming back.

Keeping up with all the changes requires experts that specifically focus on the monumental amount of information in over 74,000 pages of the Federal Tax Code. Your CPA and Accountant are not able to and don’t want to know all the ins and outs of the tax laws for this year. They would need to hire experts who are proficient in each of the myriad of fields. That means they hire more people and charge their clients higher rates. CPAs have 73% of their clients with one foot out the door so they don’t want to raise their prices.

Let’s turn this around. What didn’t go away? The Tax Payer Certainty and Disaster Relief Act, coming in under the Ways and Means Committee, extended WOTC (Worker’s Opportunity Tax Credit) through 2020. What also remained is Cost Segregation and R&D Mitigation. These are tools that will help offset the tax pain businesses will face in 2020.

Through these 3 programs, businesses get to keep the money instead of splitting it with the IRS. Having an engineered Cost Segregation Study executed, which is what the IRS recommends, a business can receive a sizable amount of benefit. My definition of sizable can be hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Accordingly, WOTC benefits have increased. Along with Cost Seg and WOTC, the biggest change of all comes from R&D mitigation, where tens of thousands of dollars are available in manufacturing of all kinds.

It’s ridiculous to pay the IRS more than we are required. It’s absurd not taking advantage of all the benefits, the money, that’s earmarked for businesses and just let it sit. The answer is before you. Have an engineered Cost Segregation Study completed, take advantage of WOTC, and realize what an R&D Mitigation can do for you.

Property Tax Credits

Hiring Incentives

Savings Examples

Categories
Best Practices Growth Industries Personal Development

You’ll Never Guess Where These Success Secrets Came From!

In the early 2000’s I was fortunate to discover network marketing. Little did I know that the MLM (multi-level-marketing) industry would teach me how to start, run, and succeed in a business of my own. This is an unknown benefit of network marketing. Outsiders only see the product or service provided. There is more to what happens when representatives gather.

Also known as direct sales, the latest figures show the industry did $35.4 billion in retail sales for 2018. According to the Direct Selling Association, there are over 6 million representatives in the U.S.

The company that I represented dealt with travel. I love traveling so it was a perfect fit for me. They have one of the best training programs to teach the skills needed to run a business. What I learned from them is more than how to travel like a king at a pauper’s price.

Some of the skills I mastered were how to approach people without fear. I can walk up to anyone and start a conversation. This helped me conquer something I dreaded doing. Another ability I acquired was how to run a business. Network marketing is not about getting rich quick. It’s about building your own business equipped with tools so you react quickly, handle problems, set your goals and stay on target. I gained the wisdom and confidence I needed to be successful.

Then there are the people. When you join a network marketing group you join a family. At your disposal are experts in the field who have also gone on to create their own companies. They work alongside you, helping you realize your dreams; whether it is starting a brick and mortar store, be a professional speaker, teacher, or whatever your dream. Mine was to write a book and become a professional blogger and speaker. Being surrounded by creative people activates your creative juices, flowing with a never-ending source of ideas.

In direct sales, the focus is to help each other. It’s the polar opposite from corporate America where you claw and crawl over others to get to the top. The way to the top is not by putting others down; it’s by building people up. Network Marketing knows that working together is crucial, and that perspective allows everyone to grow. It’s this mindset that provided the tools I needed for myself and my business.

The MLM I belonged to is worldwide. What is interesting to watch is how other countries do network marketing. Two of the successful countries are Hong Kong and Greece. These countries don’t have the same work mentality as the U.S. in that they don’t function with such cut-throat actions.  They have a teamwork mentality, knowing that collectively they will achieve their goals. This attitude has made network marketing successful in their countries.

Why doesn’t the U.S. operate this way? It is hard to teach old dogs’ new tricks, but change can happen. It takes realizing there is a problem with the way corporate America operates today. As we educate leaders and employees about how working together will create more business and improve work skills, employees will be open to achieving more. No longer will we allow bad tactics like cheating, lying, and condemning others operate in our companies. We show employees that working together is more rewarding for them financially.

As far as joining a network marketing company, there are two essentials you should consider. Number One: find a product or service you love, love, love. You must believe in what you represent. Number Two: Make sure the company has an excellent training program where you are able to learn success skills. It’s about obtaining the knowledge that will help you in any area of your life; all while making a little extra money.

Network marketing allowed me to work on myself, which led to my book. Since then I discovered my love of writing and words, and I have built my expertise around that. What is it you want to accomplish and what skills do you need to get there? Being part of a direct marketing company, where building each other up, and working together is the backbone of the organization, making it possible to achieve your wildest dreams.