Learning

Don’t Allow Fear to Disable You

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Fear

False

Evidence

Appearing

Real

 

What fears do you have? Everyone feels fear at different times in life. We allow fear to paralyze who we are. It can affect our performance at work and in our everyday lives. Fear causes people to over analyze things instead of going into action and moving forward. Some people can shake off things a lot easier than others can, which makes it so much easier for them to go after what they want. Others, like me, have a tendency to dwell on their fears, which prohibits them from making progress. We do not try because we are afraid we will fail and if we fail, what will people think?

Most of us will stumble and fall in life at some point. Nobody is perfect. When trying to speak in front of people I do not know, I am always afraid of making mistakes. This fear stays in my mind the whole time I am trying to speak and it causes me to lose my train of thought. The only one that makes this fear real is me.

Erik Wahl was a keynote speaker at a conference I attended a few weeks ago. Part of his keynote speech was on fear. He made me realize the opportunities I could be missing out on and that sometimes it pays to take a risk, take ownership of your ideas, and move ahead. He said you need to find your own definition of risk and determine if the risk is really worth taking. I volunteered to speak to a group at one of our Live Events before we started the session. When I was introduced, I stood up, did not think about all the people sitting there, and kept my head clear of any negative thoughts. I proceeded to talk without the fear. Happy to say, I did not make any mistakes and received applause from the group of people.

This was my first stepping stone. I will continue to take small steps to achieve the goal of speaking in public without making myself crazy days before and during my next speech.

“Thinking will not overcome fear, but action will.”  – W. Clement Stone

 

Professional Development

By in Diversity, Innovation, JHU, Leadership, Learning, Technology, University Culture No Comments Tags:

TrainingSession

“I am scared to death of public speaking!”

“I wish we, as a department, could take a team building seminar. These outside vendor workshops are too expensive.”

“I was promoted to a supervisory position! What information should I know as a new supervisor?”

Do these statements sound familiar to you? If so, you’re not alone.

Every year at the Benefits Fair, it amazes me how many people are not familiar with the Office of Talent Management and Organization Development, specifically the Learning and Development Programs. The Learning and Development (L&D) office offers a variety of developmental training for JHU’s full- and part-time faculty and staff – and it’s “free” as long as you register and attend! These courses are funded through the Benefits Office and they are part of your benefits package.

To answer your questions above, some of the sessions available to you are “Speak Like a Pro,” individualized “Team Building” sessions, and a variety of supervisory courses through the JHU Supervisory Training Program. For more information on these sessions, simply log in to myLearning with your JHED ID and password, and explore all of your options!

Overcoming Procrastination

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Procrastination

Do you have a problem with procrastination? Do you sometimes put off until tomorrow the things that you should be doing today? If so, it’s time to make a change! Take the 3-minute SkillSoft e-course, “Planning for Interruptions Helps with Procrastination,” to learn how to remove distractions and manage your time more effectively.

http://lms4.learnshare.com/l.aspx?CID=89&A=2&T=373010

The Importance of Perseverance… and Cat Videos

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Today I thought I’d write an article about the nature and importance of perseverance. I think it’s such an important quality. When you have a difficult or daunting project to do, perseverance is often essential. It pushes you forward, forces you to deal with challenging situations, and ultimately helps you to accomplish your goals.

But I also think that no blog is complete without a cat video. So when I happened upon this video of Maru (the Internet sensation) determinedly stuffing himself into boxes of various sizes, it seemed like a perfect match.

Is Maru a little bit obsessed with boxes? Maybe. Was it wise of him to try and stuff himself into that slim box? Perhaps not. But he demonstrates a level of perseverance that is truly impressive.

To persevere, you have to have a clear understanding of your ultimate goal, and the steps that you need to take to get there. Then you need to work through those steps, dealing with the roadblocks that you’ll face along the way. As you’re working, think about the techniques that you’re using and the progress that you’ve made so far. Are you using the right approach? Is there are better or smarter way to achieve your goal? Make adjustments, if necessary.

But the most important thing is to keep moving forward. Work around the obstacles that you face. Eventually, your perseverance will most likely pay off. And hopefully, you will feel as satisfied and fulfilled as Maru wedged into a tiny box. Good luck!

Got Emotional Intelligence?

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emotional intelligence1

What makes people effective at their jobs? What skills are necessary to work in a complex, demanding work environment? Increasingly, the answer to these and similar types of questions suggest that organizations are seeking individuals who demonstrate more than the conventional benchmarks of success such as academic credentials and years of experience in a profession. Individuals who have cultivated emotional as well as intellectual abilities are increasingly in demand. There is no doubt that emotional intelligence is important on a professional level, but it’s important on a personal level as well. So what is emotional intelligence, and what can you do to improve yours?

If you are a Johns Hopkins University employee, you may be interested in attending the “Cultivating the Power of Emotional Intelligence” workshop. Please click here to view course details.

There are also Skillsoft Courses available:

What is Emotional Intelligence?

Improving Your Emotional Intelligence Skills: Self-awareness and Self-management

(NOTE — You must use your JHED ID and password to access these resources.)

Overpayments

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Overpayments

In life, change is inevitable, and it sometimes requires employees to take time away from the university. An employee may need to take a leave of absence for health reasons, to care for a sick family member, to welcome a new child into the family, or to serve in the armed forces. Some employees will resign and leave the university.

When an employee takes a leave of absence or ends employment, certain procedures need to be followed and payroll adjustments need to be made. If these procedures aren’t followed, serious and costly mistakes can occur.

For instance, if an employee takes a leave of absence without pay, and this is not properly registered in SAP, the employee could continue to get regular pay amounts from the university. This is what is known as an “overpayment.” An overpayment is money paid to an employee in excess of the amount owed.

Overpayments cost the university millions of dollars every year. Resolving an overpayment takes a lot of time and effort. Since the employee has to pay federal and state income taxes on the overpayment, this can add to the confusion and complexity of the situation. And if the employee was overpaid with grant funding, this can put the university at risk.

Overpayments can be avoided if you follow correct procedure when processing leaves of absence and terminations. And if a mistake is made, it’s easier to remedy if it’s discovered early and dealt with immediately!

To learn more about the procedures that must be followed (and how to deal with an overpayment if it occurs), please take the e-course, “Managing Payroll for Leaves and Terminations.” This course will provide you with the information you need to process leaves of absence and terminations appropriately, and avoid costly overpayments. You can also view and print a series of detailed job aids, and practice what you’ve learned by working through several realistic practice scenarios.

http://lms4.learnshare.com/l.aspx?CID=89&A=2&T=229076

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