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Spring is the time of year to unfurl, both literally and figuratively. In the literal sense, the fiddlehead pictured to the right, is one that Joan and Marc Plisko marveled at during a recent morning hike in
Patapsco State Park. With enough rain, sunshine, and the right soil conditions, these beautiful fiddleheads enjoy their seasonal transformation.
Metaphorically, spring is the time of year to unfurl the professional goals and objectives that you developed at the beginning of the year. Having sowed and tended to your projects now is the time to calculate your project progress. Are you rooted and on track for achieving and maintaining the targets you set? Did you set stretch goals? Can you speed up or slow down your efforts for optimal implementation? What other resources do you need to be successful? Is there enough diversity in the mix?
If you need a framework for developing your goals and objectives, view a
strategic dashboard template to get your creative juices flowing. Now is the time to unfurl your professional ideas and strategies and enjoy the wonderful transformation of your efforts!
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Integration: Who Represents You?
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[L to R: Joelle Novey, Interfaith Power & Light; Jakir Manela, Pearlstone Center; Senator Chris Van Hollen; Joan Plisko, Pearlstone Center; and Vicki Stearn, Adat Shalom
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Do you know who your state Senators are? According to the
Boston Globe
, when the Benenson Strategy Group surveyed 1,000 people between the ages of 18 and 34,
77%
could
not
name even one of their own state senators. Where do you stand on knowledge of your own elected officials?
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[L to R: Senator Ben Cardin; Joan Plisko, Pearlstone Center]
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Here is a sample ten-minute meeting agenda for meeting with elected officials:
- Introductions (1 minute) – Very brief: names, organizations, and hometowns.
- Meeting Overview (1 minute) – Why are you there? What do you want to talk about?
- Personal Stories (2 minutes) – Why are you moved to action? Why should they act?
- The “Ask” (2 minutes) – Yes or no: will they support the principles?
- Strategic Response (2 minutes) – Moving supporters to champions; Undecideds to supporters; Opponents to sideline-sitters.
- Closing (1 minute) – Respectful wrap-up, thank-you, clarify any needed follow-up.
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Results: Training the Mind to Think
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Leadership Baltimore County Class of 2017 (left) learning with S. Dallas Dance, Superintendent, Baltimore County Public Schools (right)
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"Education is not the learning of facts,
but the training of the mind to think"
~Albert Einstein~
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There are many ways people learn. In his presentation to the
Leadership Baltimore County Class of 2017, S. Dallas Dance, Superintendent of Baltimore County Public Schools, and his team, discussed the use and prevalance of technology in Baltimore County Public Schools. The use of computers in all grades is widespread and growing in the United States and abroad. According to
Education Week, public schools in the United States now provide at least one computer for every five students and spend more than $3 billion per year on digital content. For the first time during the 2015-2016 school year, more state standardized tests for elementary and middle school grades were administered via technology than by paper and pencil.
Whether you agree or disagree with the increasing use of technology in our children's school, teachers must continue teaching students to
train their minds to think critically, with and without the assistance of computers and other electronic devices. Critical thinking is as easy as one, two, three. Here are
three steps to remember when teaching or learning how to think critically:
- Analyze: Pay attention to details and ask questions. Identify cause and effect, the sequence of events and/or steps within a process. Assess similarities, differences and/or trends; associations and relationships between things; and examples of what is happening.
- Evaluate: Assess evidence for various viewpoints and determine which points you are in agreement with, and which ones you disagree with. Make sure you consider all sides of the argument. Determine connections between various sources and ideas and compare what you’ve found with your initial thinking about the topic. Do you still think the same way or have your views changed?
- Synthesize: Putting all the information together, is there more than one response? What works best in this situation? When you reach a logical conclusion be aware of your own biases.
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About Plisko Sustainable Solutions
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Joan Plisko, PhD, President
Marc Plisko, CIH, Vice President
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Plisko Sustainable Solutions (PSS) can help your company develop, optimize, and appraise environmental health, exposure assessment, and sustainability programs. The PSS team will provide expertise and guidance as you improve your company's economic, environmental, and social performance.
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