Month: January 2010

NFPW Community on LinkedIn

Are you searching for a job? Do you have a question you need answered but don’t have a contact in that field?

Then try LinkedIn, a business networking site that enables you to network, hire, post jobs, get business advice and share your expertise.

You can also join various groups and share information. NFPW has a group on the site. It’s a great way to get others interested in NFPW. If they see you are a member of the group and are in the communications field, they’ll ask you about it and then you can have a conversation about the benefits of joining NFPW.

So if you aren’t already, join the NFPW LinkedIn group. And if you aren’t on LinkedIn, why not take the plunge into this business networking site? It’s a great way to polish your resume, learn about social media and define your brand.

Once you are on the site you will create a free account and then you will create a profile. Use a professional photograph and share highlights of your professional experience. Then begin adding contacts. Expand your network over time.

If you are feeling ambitious ask for recommendations. If you disagree with what the person wrote, you can reject that recommendation. You also can recommend people. Add your Web site or your Twitter account. Again, it’s all about connecting.

I’ve used LinkedIn to post jobs, to find out more about candidates, to ask professional questions and get answers from those with more expertise.

Are we LinkedIn? If not, let’s connect!

Mortenson Promotes Peace, Not Fear

Last evening I heard Greg Mortenson, author of Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace One School at a Time speak at a sold out Richmond (VA) Forum.

I haven’t read the book yet, but it’s moved to the top of my list. His words resonated with me because I work for ChildFund International, an international child development organization dedicated to helping children in 31 countries be empowered to grow and change their lives.

He’s a sought-after speaker and his book made it the bestseller list for many weeks. But his fame didn’t come overnight. Like many authors, it was a difficult road.

The subtitle of the book was originally about fighting terrorism because the publisher believed it would sell more books since it was being published in the aftermath of 9/11. But the author knew that wouldn’t work because “fighting terrorism is about promoting fear.”

He made a deal with the publisher that if the book didn’t sell well in hardback, the publisher would change the subtitle to the subtitle about peace. When the book did not do well in hardback, Mortenson reminded his published of the deal. When the book was published in paperback the subtitle was changed and sales took off.

Mortenson spoke about how peace is based in hope and the need to empower people “so they can lead their destinies.”

His first school took a while to build, Mortenson admitted, because he was micromanaging the work. But then he turned it over to the community and six weeks later it was built. “You have to let go and empower the community,” he said.

The growth of schools in Afghanistan and the educating of young girls has grown exponentially. In 2000 only 800,000 children, mostly boys, attended schools. By 2009, 8.4 million students attend schools and 2.5 million are girls.

When girls attend school until at least the fifth-grade, a country will see reduced infant mortality, reduced population explosion and an improvement in basic qualities of health and life, Mortenson said.

He noted that there is an African proverb he learned as a child in Tanzania, “If you educate a boy, you educate an individual. But if you educate a girl, you educate a community.”

His new book, Stones Into Schools: Promoting Peace with Books Not Bombs, in Afghanistan and Pakistan, came out in December.

A Note of Thanks in the New Year

I spent the last week or so cleaning, shredding and generally organizing. I took several days off from work and became lost in some good fiction. I watched movies (at the theater and through Netflix). Mostly, I allowed my brain to rest.
 
I need that down time. I need it to recharge, to refocus, to regain perspective.
 
The year 2009 is past. I reviewed the highs and lows so I would be ready for 2010. Are you ready?
 
Mostly I wanted to start of 2010 by thanking you for taking time to read my posts and, more importantly, for commenting and for sending me encouraging emails. Your engagement is what makes this adventure rewarding.
 
I’ll keep the posts coming in 2010. I hope you’ll keep your comments coming, too.
 
Let’s see where 2010 takes us on this adventure!