Name: Shari Henry
Date registered: March 4, 2010
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People who work in the nonprofit sector often comment about how emotionally charged the workplace can be. This should come as no surprise to any of us. The nonprofit sector should draw highly passionate people; in fact, not much impact has ever been made by passionate-less folks. It follows, then, that emotions in the office can sometimes be highly charged. The author writes, “The neuroscience of emotion is an exiting new field and the conversations I had with people confirmed first-hand what the cutting-edge researchers are discovering. . . Nobody likes working with angry people. And all of us are looking for ways to reduce on-the-job anxiety.”
The author interviews over 200 working Americans as well as experts in the field and comes up with tools to help each of us be our “authentic emotional selves” while building “emotional resiliency.” Check it out.
Permanent link to this article: http://www.arls.org/2011/06/sharis-nonprofit-pick-its-always-personal/
I just got back from the Special Libraries Association annual conference in Philadelphia. Over the next several weeks, I’ll be sharing a lot of what I learned. Here’s a quick list of some of the best of what I got this year:
What are some of the best things you’ve learned from conferences?
Permanent link to this article: http://www.arls.org/2011/06/sharis-nonprofit-pick-best-of-sla-2011/
The Leadership Challenge: The Most Trusted Source on Becoming a Better Leader by Kouzes & Posner
Publishers Weekly calls The Leadership Challenge “an inspirational and practical handbook.” I agree. Considered the gold standard in leadership titles by many, this well-researched book identifies five fundamental practices of excellent leadership as challenging the status quo, inspiring a shared vision, enabling others to act, modeling the way forward by setting an example, and tapping individuals’ inner drives by linking rewards and performance. You’ll love this book and you’ll be able to immediately apply a lot of what it says. Check it out.
Which of the five fundamental practices do you think is the most important and why?
Permanent link to this article: http://www.arls.org/2011/06/sharis-nonprofit-pick-the-leadership-challenge/
Ms. Wiggs is a graduate of the University of Texas and Harvard.
I picked up this brief book because I am a new quilter, and I’ve been meaning to read the prolific Susan Wiggs. Why I continued to read it once I realized it was about a goodbye cross-country, mother-daughter journey to launch the daughter off to college is beyond me. I’ll be making a similar journey with my third, and youngest, child in just a couple of months. Maybe it’s because we’re all drawn to stories about life’s passages. Maybe it’s because life has been so full I’ve wondered if I am even feeling “enough” about becoming an empty-nester. Maybe, once I got involved in the first several pages, it was because I saw so much of myself in the mother. Wiggs does an excellent job articulating through her characters so many thoughts that pass through our minds at this point in life. Much more narrative than dialogue, the book moves at a leisurely, though engaging, pace as Molly (daughter) drives and Linda (mother) pieces together Molly’s quilt, made up from scraps of fabric that have marked her young life – pieces from a Halloween costume, Christening gown, plus hair ribbons, buttons, and so on. You don’t have to be a mom or a quilter to enjoy this book (though either or both will increase your enjoyment). Check it out.
What are the keepsakes that mean the most to you?
Permanent link to this article: http://www.arls.org/2011/06/smartypants-light-reads-by-brilliant-women-8/
Ms. Albert was graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BA from University of Illinois, and earned her PhD from Berkeley. She also served as the first woman dean of Newcomb College at Tulane.
If you like chick-lit and cozy mysteries, this is a book for you. It’s the perfect summer read, but then again, it would be a great book to curl up with on a snowy winter day as well. You’ll meet Darling’s Dahlias, a women’s group located in, you guessed it, Darling, Alabama. No cozy mystery is complete without a group of women who are out to solve a murder case, but this book is clever, fun, and exceptionally well written. You’ll feel like you have been transported to 1930s Alabama, thanks to Wittig’s scrupulous historically correct details. The true-to-life characters are lovable yet imperfect. An added bonus for those of us with busy schedules is that this book is briefer than most of the recommended Smartypants titles. Check it out. (And stay tuned: the next Darling Dahlias mystery is due to be released July 5.)
Who was your favorite Dahlia and why?
Permanent link to this article: http://www.arls.org/2011/06/smartypants-light-reads-by-brilliant-women-7/
Every now and then I am compelled to recommend a read that is more textbook-like than much of what we have in the Nonprofit Resource Center. This important book, Nonprofit Sustainability: Making Strategic Decisions for Financial Viability is written by Jeanne Bell, Jan Masaoka, and Steve Zimmerman and is published by Jossey-Bass. The cover displays arrows with “Matrix Map Analysis” and “Decision Making” leading to “The Sustainable Nonprofit Business Model,” and the sections and chapters between the covers deliver as the arrows promise. You’ll get loads of figures, tables, and exhibits to help you decipher the how-to. A resource section and index also help your navigation through the book and the topics it covers. If you’re looking at sustainability for your nonprofit, you’ll want to read this book. Check it out.
What efforts is your organization currently making to increase the potential for sustainability?
Permanent link to this article: http://www.arls.org/2011/05/sharis-nonprofit-pick-nonprofit-sustainability/
The Fixer Upper by Mary Kay Andrews
Ms. Andrews holds a B.A. from the University of Georgia and is a sought-after teacher of writing workshops around the country.
I find all of Mary Kay Andrews’ books charming and hilarious, but this one is my hands-down favorite. You’ll meet Dempsey Jo Killebrew, a young and promising lobbyist who flees Washington, D.C. amidst an office scandal perpetuated by her boss. Her dad offers her a place of refuge: a recently inherited but dilapidated house in rural Georgia. She turns in her high dollar high heels for an oversized pair of overalls and gets to work. Romance, intrigue, scandal, self-discovery, and a cranky distant relative squatting on the property all intermingle to make this a delightful tale that will keep you turning pages. Check it out.
Look for Mary Kay Andrews newest book, Summer Rental, to be released on June 7. For more information about the author and her works, visit www.marykayandrews.com.
How realistic do you think it is that this young high-powered, sophisticated female would enjoy white collar work in rural Georgia?
Permanent link to this article: http://www.arls.org/2011/05/smartypants-light-reads-by-brilliant-women-6/
Immunity to Change How to Overcome It and Unlock the Potential in Yourself and Your Organization
by Robert Kegan & Lisa Laskow Lahey
In this well-researched book on change, Kegan and Lahey offer you plenty of practical to help you act on the theoretical. My favorite chapter expounded on the three necessary ingredients for change: the Gut, engaging head and heart simultaneously, and “hand” (the actual work of change). If you think your organization has become immune to change, this book will give you tools to address why and perhaps start to move the herd in another direction. If you have become immune to change, dig into this work today. You’ll have all you need to let go of your excuses and make change happen. Check it out.
What areas do you need to make changes in and how do you intend to get started?
Permanent link to this article: http://www.arls.org/2011/05/sharis-nonprofit-pick-immunity-to-change/
Ms. McCafferty studied at the University of Richmond prior to completing her undergraduate work at Columbia University.
The third in McCafferty’s chronicling of Jessica Darling’s collegiate life at Columbia, this book follows Sloppy Firsts and Second Helpings and precedes Fourth Comings and Perfect Fifths. Charmed Thirds starts with the summer after Jessica’s freshman year, so you can expect these books to keep coming for awhile. McCafferty weaves a fun-spirited tale, but these books are as much geared toward high school students as they are for adults. And don’t expect much depth. I might even rate this one as “extra-light.” But still, it’s worth a read. Check it out.
Do you find the titles of Ms. McCaffery’s work compelling or off-putting? Why?
Permanent link to this article: http://www.arls.org/2011/05/smartypants-light-reads-by-brilliant-women-5/
Currently #15 on The New York Times Best Sellers list, Gary Vaynerchuk’s (author of previous best seller, Crush It!) The Thank You Economy is well worth the 229 page read. The author shows you how “companies big and small can scale [that kind of] personal, one-on-one attention to their entire customer base, no matter how large, using the same social media platforms that carry consumer word of mouth.” Plenty of data enforces theory in this book. Vaynerchuk is a thought leader you can trust; Askmen.com included him on their Top 49 Most Influential Men of 2009 list, and Business Week put him among their Top 20 People Every Entrepreneur Should Follow. You’ll be glad you read this book. Check it out.
Who are the thought leaders you follow?
Permanent link to this article: http://www.arls.org/2011/05/shari%e2%80%99s-nonprofit-pick-the-thank-you-economy/