United Ways of Texas’ Post

Rise Up Monday ~ “To Your Greatness!” Why didn’t I get the promotion? This is the most frequently asked question, I’ve been asked by staff during my tenure in the position of Warden. A staff member requested a meeting with me in order to discuss a promotion opportunity at a different location in the agency. She wanted my advice as to whether it would be a good career move. The meeting was scheduled. In the meeting, she began to share the details about the positions she was applying for and how she was making the best qualified list, but was not getting selected. She listed all the things she had done in the performance of her duties. She asked, Why didn’t I get promoted? What do I need to do?  I listened attentively to what she was saying to me. I commended her for her good work. Then, I shared the merit promotion board selection process with her. I told her, “clearly you’re good at what you do. There’s no doubt about it. You are also among a lot of candidates who have applied for the same position. They are also good like you. If you want to get promoted, Go GET GREAT! When you get great come back and see me!” We both share this story. We believe it needs to be told. We also both chuckle about it today. Often sharing our varied versions of the details of that meeting. As I listened to her that day, I knew she had skills to get out of the group with everyone else. She needed to distinguish herself and her skills. Not too long after that meeting, she was promoted. The criteria didn’t change. She excelled from doing good work to doing great work! Chadwick Boseman said it best, “Sometimes your grade doesn’t give an indication of what your greatness might be.” I’m one of many leaders who is very proud of her and fortunate to have had her on our teams. She’ll be retiring in a few weeks with 25 years of service, having received several promotions since that good to great meeting. She’ll be honored for her great work and dedication in her career in the Federal Bureau of Prisons. We offer you this, when elevating performance from good to great, here are some great things to do: 1. Do the work 2. Have mentors that will tell you the truth 3. Be willing to listen 4. Be objective  5. Stay focused on what you want 6. Raise your level of performance  7. Make the necessary adjustments 8. Evaluate your growth process  9. When you make the change, witness the results of it 10. Recognize good is good and it is the enemy of great! This young lady in the photo Tovia Knight, BA, MPA is who the story is about. She is one of my protégées. She’s been a tremendous asset to me and each team that she’s served. Undoubtedly, Tovia will do great things in her next steps going forward as she’s done in her career in the Federal Bureau of Prisons!   What does great look like, it looks like Tovia Knight. Happy Monday To You! Visit: https://lnkd.in/ddy-TfNe #leadership #leadershipdevelopment #leadershipcoaching

Very sad - JMIR Publications is now pretty much the last small/medium sized full independent OA publisher left standing. I wonder if it dawns on Coalition S funders and librarians that getting rid of institutional open access funds (which equally support OA publishing across publishers without "read and publish deals" with select publishers that have legacy paywall content) and throwing all their available budget at legacy publishers may have been a mistake? I predicted it in 2020: "What librarians do with transformative agreements (...) is to cement the existing monopolies/oligarchies in publishing, stifling innovation, and reducing diversity in the publishing market. In the next couple of years, you will see a rapid decline of full open access publishers, who will all be acquired by large legacy publishers." (https://lnkd.in/gASPfdvj). I wish the marketing blurbs from PeerJ on why it was sold would have been clearer on this.

Can you do a humblebrag or celebrate success the right way? I think you can and, more importantly, would actively encourage you to do so. Why? You've worked hard for this. Earned your right to be recognised. Won an award, got a nomination, topped the table. Then someone tells you you didn't celebrate it the right way? No. No, no, no, no, no! No! They have no idea what you did to get that result. The work you've put in. An inaugural directories nomination? Go for it. An award win? Literally tell me about it and I will be at the front of the queue to like that post. Every time. I have had a glimpse of what it takes to achieve that recognition as I have worked alongside lawyers for 25 years. Please do not allow others to take it away from you. Beyond your own hard work, representation matters. If you're cowed into not sharing/ celebrating your successes, told that it's humblebragging or that posting is boasting, then ask yourself this: who does that serve? Who benefits from you not posting about that success? How should you share a success? By telling us how the recognition made you feel. If it's heartfelt and genuine, and timely, it will *always* resonate with your audience. Always. Let's take the example below (which isn't my success but rather the success of one of the women I love most in the world: young Meg). The sheer joy on her face in this photo made me cry this morning when I got it through. I've seen the pain, heard about the early starts and witnessed the upsets that came before it. I know that she was offered a chance to appear at the British rowing champs at short notice and grapsed it with all her might and claimed gold this weekend in the mixed fours. I know - an actual Marshall actually winning something. I'm always proud to be her dad, but I'm unbelievably proud today - mainly because of that smile. Not all first years at university are easy. But maybe this one got just a little bit easier? Love you, Meg. Celebrate your successes, people. And I will always help you to do so too. #SimonSays #DadLife #Lawyers #LawFirms #LegalProfession

At Landmark Title, we know our people are what set us apart from the rest. One of those people is Chief Title Officer Joshua Conant. Learn more about Josh in our recent blog 👉🏼 https://bit.ly/4eRGTCZ

Life is a balancing act, and the dynamic interplay between optimists and pessimists is what makes our world thrive. Optimists drive innovation, inspire change, and see the possibilities. Pessimists, on the other hand, bring caution, critical thinking, and risk management. Together, they create a balanced perspective that fosters sustainable progress and resilient solutions. Embracing both viewpoints in our teams and lives helps us navigate challenges more effectively and achieve a harmonious, well-rounded approach to success. 🌍💼 #Leadership #Teamwork #Balance #Innovation #CriticalThinking

I agree. Nor, indeed, should they any longer be given for political service (or working in civil service, as SPADs, etc) or for leverage. This includes being placed in the Lords (just take a look at who Johnson put there, and consider what they might have done to 'deserve' it). Also consider that people in a position to 'hold something over' others in a position to make or recommend awards (lying, infidelity, etc etc) can in some cases receive a meal ticket for life (currently £342 for each day that they enter the chamber, irrespective of time spent in it). Fine for many of the hard working members, but not chancers. The whole system was already questionable, but the current party of power has pushed it over the edge. Any politician that now accepts such awards could (rightly or wrongly) be seen as tainted or having been influenced or corrupted in some way. Such a shame for those who deserve civil recognition. There should be a full and auditable and public trail, to see how any particular award was given, the person(s) involved, and criteria used.

Trust is not overrated.

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