Lion Girl Blog: Let’s just forgive and forget, shall we?
Here is the beginning of my post. And here is the rest of it.
...Read more!
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Check Out My New Blog Site!
Hi Everyone! Thanks for stopping by the site for my original blog. I've recently moved to a new location at:http://www.gilpizano.com
On the above site, you’ll find information about personal development, diversity, inspiration, mentoring and leadership among many other things. I’m a person with a passion for life, people, business, and networking and this blog is my personal avenue for sharing some of my thoughts. Please stop my new official blog location and say hello!
Stay Strong and Have a Great Day!
Gil
Saturday, July 18, 2009
You Can Discover Culture on Social Media and Social Networking Sites These Days!
With the big buzz in the recent years about social media and social networking, it’s kind of hard to avoid the terms, Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and the like. It seems when you turn on the news in the morning or listen to the radio on the way to and from work, you’ll always here someone use the phrase, “and the big thing on Twitter this morning seems to be…” or something similar to that. (You can almost insert many other social media and social networking sites in place on Twitter.) What’s the difference between Social Media and Social Networking? Check out the article "Social Media vs. Social Networking: What's the difference?" by Mark Stelzner. He does a pretty concise job in attempting to explain this as briefly as he can.
Yes, I would consider myself to be a little tech savvy when it comes to the internet. I have a blog (here), belong to a few different online groups (Greenlight Community and MyLinkingPowerForum), and even have accounts set up at Facebook, Twitter, and FriendFeed. But at the same time I have to consider myself a newbie when it comes to completely understanding the different types of cultures and backgrounds that exist in our world. The internet has opened a large wide door to understanding these cultures.
I’ve been fortunate enough to have made a few online friends with many different backgrounds and experiences. Most are from the U.S. but many are from South America, South Africa, Asia and Europe. Even though I’ve traveled to many places, there are some that I still have yet to see and experience.
Do you find yourself wondering what it would be like to travel to some of these far off locations?
To learn about the people, their beliefs, their views of the world around them and the various political ideas that they subscribe to? I do. Without realizing it, by connecting with people on social networking and social media sites, I’ve gained direct access to many of the same people who I would normally be meeting in my travels. Yes, not everyone is connected to the internet that is true so I wouldn’t be able to chat with someone online in let’s say a remote native village in central Africa or in the mountains of Chile…although you never know where satellite technology will come in.
It’s been a privilege to have had many conversations with people from South Africa, from Iran, from Europe and South America. Learning about what they are thinking, learning what their concerns are, what questions they have about me and my area of the world. Even something that may seem mundane such as “how is the weather there today?” sheds a light about them and what they value in life. Many people like to share what they are having for dinner or for breakfast. Some share where they are going today or where they’ve been. Who they’re hanging out with and what they are doing. When was the last time they saw their [enter family member or significant other here] and how they are looking forward to seeing them again.
You can learn a lot about people and the culture they are a part of by reading their various tweets on Twitter or their comments within a blog or social networking site such as Facebook. The funny thing is that I found it doesn’t make a difference whether the person is from another country or simply in the next town or state. The internet and the World Wide Web have enabled all of us to continue to learn and grow. Mostly, in my humble opinion, about each other and the people we live with in this world. Is there something positive you’ve learned about another person, group or culture by either talking with them or reading their messages on social networking / social media sites? Is there something you’ve learned about yourself at the same time process?
My wish with this article is to help you be aware of the many enriching opportunities you have to learn about others and their beliefs and in turn help others learn more about you and yours!
Warm Regards to All!
Gil ...Read more!
Yes, I would consider myself to be a little tech savvy when it comes to the internet. I have a blog (here), belong to a few different online groups (Greenlight Community and MyLinkingPowerForum), and even have accounts set up at Facebook, Twitter, and FriendFeed. But at the same time I have to consider myself a newbie when it comes to completely understanding the different types of cultures and backgrounds that exist in our world. The internet has opened a large wide door to understanding these cultures.
I’ve been fortunate enough to have made a few online friends with many different backgrounds and experiences. Most are from the U.S. but many are from South America, South Africa, Asia and Europe. Even though I’ve traveled to many places, there are some that I still have yet to see and experience.
Do you find yourself wondering what it would be like to travel to some of these far off locations?
To learn about the people, their beliefs, their views of the world around them and the various political ideas that they subscribe to? I do. Without realizing it, by connecting with people on social networking and social media sites, I’ve gained direct access to many of the same people who I would normally be meeting in my travels. Yes, not everyone is connected to the internet that is true so I wouldn’t be able to chat with someone online in let’s say a remote native village in central Africa or in the mountains of Chile…although you never know where satellite technology will come in.
It’s been a privilege to have had many conversations with people from South Africa, from Iran, from Europe and South America. Learning about what they are thinking, learning what their concerns are, what questions they have about me and my area of the world. Even something that may seem mundane such as “how is the weather there today?” sheds a light about them and what they value in life. Many people like to share what they are having for dinner or for breakfast. Some share where they are going today or where they’ve been. Who they’re hanging out with and what they are doing. When was the last time they saw their [enter family member or significant other here] and how they are looking forward to seeing them again.
You can learn a lot about people and the culture they are a part of by reading their various tweets on Twitter or their comments within a blog or social networking site such as Facebook. The funny thing is that I found it doesn’t make a difference whether the person is from another country or simply in the next town or state. The internet and the World Wide Web have enabled all of us to continue to learn and grow. Mostly, in my humble opinion, about each other and the people we live with in this world. Is there something positive you’ve learned about another person, group or culture by either talking with them or reading their messages on social networking / social media sites? Is there something you’ve learned about yourself at the same time process?
My wish with this article is to help you be aware of the many enriching opportunities you have to learn about others and their beliefs and in turn help others learn more about you and yours!
Warm Regards to All!
Gil ...Read more!
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Have any Favorite Sayings or Quotes that Inspire You? Share Them!
Do you have any favorite sayings that inspire or motivate you? Why not share some of them! I have a habit of reading many personal development and inspirational books from which I've learned some fantastic sayings. Some of my favorite sayings include "The worst of all fears is the fear of living" by Theodore Roosevelt. Another is "The best way to cheer yourself is to try to cheer someone else up" by Mark Twain. You never know when a particular saying, or story will pop out at you and give you a new perspective or inspiration on something you've had to deal with in your life.
Great Quote Sites:
...Read more!
Great Quote Sites:
Blogs are also a great source of inspiring messages and stories as well!
If there are any particular sayings, blogs or stories that have made a positive impact in your life, why not share them here with us in the comments section below! I myself (as I'm sure others) would love to know what they are and/or where to find them!
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Finding Information about Mentorships
It's funny how in this digital age of ours, there is still a large number of people who are not able to find what they are looking for. I'm talking about people who are already connected to the internet, are reasonably internet savvy, and are able to perform searches via Google, Yahoo or what have you.
In the interest of helping people find good information about mentoring, I've decided to point out some avenues that I believe will help.
Websites and Blogs about Mentorships:
Please feel free to comment on any of the information I listed above. Let's stay strong and keep growing!
If you feel the above information was valuable to you, or if you feel someone else may find this information useful, feel free to share this site with them. ...Read more!
In the interest of helping people find good information about mentoring, I've decided to point out some avenues that I believe will help.
Websites and Blogs about Mentorships:
- Quintessential Careers - A comprehensive career development site with many articles on the subject such as "The Value of Mentorship" by Katharine Hansen, Ph.D..
- About.com - an online neighborhood of hundreds of helpful experts, eager to share their wealth of knowledge with visitors.
- Problogger.net
- Mentoring.org - known as one of the nation's premier advocates and resources for the expansion of mentoring initiatives nationwide serving young people in their communities.
- The Professional and Amateur Mentoring Group - Group on LinkedIn.com created to help the ones who are willing to be either mentors or mentees to connect with each other on LinkedIn.
- Gateway to Associations Online - Maintained by the American Society of Association Executives, this site provides a comprehensive directory to Web sites of business and professional associations.
- Associations on the Net - This site, from The Internet Public Library, lists organizations that have a Web presence, enabling you to explore groups you might want to join.
- WEDDLE's Association Directory - This site lists several thousand associations from around the world by their primary professional/occupational focus and/or industry of interest. Maintained by WEDDLE's, a research, publishing, consulting, and training firm.
Please feel free to comment on any of the information I listed above. Let's stay strong and keep growing!
If you feel the above information was valuable to you, or if you feel someone else may find this information useful, feel free to share this site with them. ...Read more!
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
What is the Big Deal about Mentors?
If you think you don't need one and want to "Get Ahead" in your career or business endeavor, you may want to think again. Mentors are probably one of the most important people you'll have in your life. They are people who have either already navigated the landscape that you are currently working your way through or can simply give you sincere constructive criticism to help make the most of a given scenario. Mentorship refers to a developmental relationship in which a more experienced person helps a less experienced person develop in a specified capacity. The less experienced person in a mentoring relationship is sometimes referred to as a protégé or a mentoree.
So what is the big deal about having a mentor vs. doing it on your own with the help of your network? According to Katharine Hansen, Ph.D in her article The Value of a Mentor:
"Where a typical network contact might be associated with quick introductions, exchanges of business cards, and phone calls, your relationship with a mentor likely involves long lunches and time spent in the mentor's office. A mentor is often in a position you'd like to be in and has the clout and connections to guide you to a similar position. He or she is someone you probably have unusually good chemistry with who will share stories with you of his or her own climb to success. An effective mentor isn't afraid to criticize constructively. "
The value of a mentor in your life for work, business, or even family reveals itself through time. More importantly the time saved by putting to use the input received from a mentor.
A Difficult Situation to Be In
A while back, in a position previous to the one I have now, I was having difficultly with my new supervisor. The issue of him trusting me was apparent within a couple of months after he became my boss. For the life of me I could not understand why he mistrusted me so much. In my eyes, there was no reason why he needed to.
Action items and deliverables assigned to me where always completed on time and in apparent good order. Whenever there was a question of getting the task accomplished, I would always have a contingency plan in place to help ensure the completion of the goal. Even though I did everything he asked of me and then some, there was always tension with my supervisor thinking that I was attempting to usurp his authority and take his position.
Regardless of what some of you may think, taking my supervisor’s place that was not my intention at the time.
A Mentor to the Rescue
One of my mentors, Steve, was a Senior Director within the HR department of a large corporation and we would meet periodically over lunch. I took the next time Steve and I met for lunch to go over the situation I was facing with my supervisor. After discussing it for a bit, Steve pointed out something to me that I was not aware of at the time. I am the type of person who when asked to get something accomplished goes out of their way to get it done. This would include reaching out to people in other departments at all different levels.
What I wasn’t aware of was that by doing so my name was getting around the company as a point of contact for my department. This would lead to people in other departments contacting me directly when they had a quick question instead of my supervisor. At the time I didn’t think anything of it, but Steve pointed out to me that my supervisor may be the type of person who needed to be the focal point for his organization. To add to the issue, whenever I reached out to people in other organizations, I would not always tell my supervisor every single person I spoke with (showing how green I was at the time).
Steve proceeded to give me some ideas that I could try in order to remedy the situation with my supervisor. He advised me of how important it was to let my supervisor know who I’ve contacted outside of the organization in order to accomplish the tasks he assigned me to do. Even if the contact appears minor to me, my supervisor may not believe so and by keeping him in the loop he would be able to feel more in control of his organization. After all, being his organization, he is ultimately accountable for what goes on within it.
Another item that Steve pointed out to me was the possibility of there being a personality conflict. My personality is to be open and relaxed around people. Not talking up a storm, but by nature I prefer to avoid long moments of awkward silence. If such an awkward moment of silence occurs, I am most likely to be one of the people who breaks the silence by asking a question or bringing up a point that people may find interesting. My boss on the other hand was much more reserved and would not interrupt a long awkward moments of silence. Steve suggested using a mirroring technique to help bridge the possible gap the different personalities my supervisor and I had.
After applying the advice Steve suggested, I noticed the level of mistrust begin to diminish. What was most surprising for me was how quickly my supervisor’s mistrust of me dissipated. Within a couple of weeks my supervisor was appearing more comfortable around the things I was doing. I kept him more ‘informed’ by letting him know everyone I spoke with in order to get the tasks he assigned me done. After a while, he became comfortable enough with me reaching out to so many people in different departments (and them contacting me directly) that he eventually told me he didn’t need to know everyone I spoke with. As long as the job got done, he was fine with the way I did it.
Looking back on the whole scenario, I realized that I was very fortunate to have Steve mentor me at this time. Had he not given me his advice based upon his own past experience, the situation would have most likely resulted in a different ending. One where the mistrust my supervisor had for me could have turned into a reason for him to push me out of his organization. The input from Steve allowed me to have a successful track record with that company that eventually led to me receiving a promotion.
If you Decide to Choose a Mentor
There is no limit to the number of mentors you have in your life. Some people have one, others many more. Some mentoring relationship last for less than a year, others last a lifetime. The number of mentors you decide to have is ultimately up to you. Just like with all mutually beneficial relationships, mentorships require time and need to be nurtured.
If you choose to find a mentor, and a mentor decides to choose you, it may be one of the most valuable and profitable relationships you ever have.
Feel that the above information was valuable to you, or that someone else may find this information useful, then feel free to share this site with them. ...Read more!
So what is the big deal about having a mentor vs. doing it on your own with the help of your network? According to Katharine Hansen, Ph.D in her article The Value of a Mentor:
"Where a typical network contact might be associated with quick introductions, exchanges of business cards, and phone calls, your relationship with a mentor likely involves long lunches and time spent in the mentor's office. A mentor is often in a position you'd like to be in and has the clout and connections to guide you to a similar position. He or she is someone you probably have unusually good chemistry with who will share stories with you of his or her own climb to success. An effective mentor isn't afraid to criticize constructively. "
The value of a mentor in your life for work, business, or even family reveals itself through time. More importantly the time saved by putting to use the input received from a mentor.
A Difficult Situation to Be In
A while back, in a position previous to the one I have now, I was having difficultly with my new supervisor. The issue of him trusting me was apparent within a couple of months after he became my boss. For the life of me I could not understand why he mistrusted me so much. In my eyes, there was no reason why he needed to.
Action items and deliverables assigned to me where always completed on time and in apparent good order. Whenever there was a question of getting the task accomplished, I would always have a contingency plan in place to help ensure the completion of the goal. Even though I did everything he asked of me and then some, there was always tension with my supervisor thinking that I was attempting to usurp his authority and take his position.
Regardless of what some of you may think, taking my supervisor’s place that was not my intention at the time.
A Mentor to the Rescue
One of my mentors, Steve, was a Senior Director within the HR department of a large corporation and we would meet periodically over lunch. I took the next time Steve and I met for lunch to go over the situation I was facing with my supervisor. After discussing it for a bit, Steve pointed out something to me that I was not aware of at the time. I am the type of person who when asked to get something accomplished goes out of their way to get it done. This would include reaching out to people in other departments at all different levels.
What I wasn’t aware of was that by doing so my name was getting around the company as a point of contact for my department. This would lead to people in other departments contacting me directly when they had a quick question instead of my supervisor. At the time I didn’t think anything of it, but Steve pointed out to me that my supervisor may be the type of person who needed to be the focal point for his organization. To add to the issue, whenever I reached out to people in other organizations, I would not always tell my supervisor every single person I spoke with (showing how green I was at the time).
Steve proceeded to give me some ideas that I could try in order to remedy the situation with my supervisor. He advised me of how important it was to let my supervisor know who I’ve contacted outside of the organization in order to accomplish the tasks he assigned me to do. Even if the contact appears minor to me, my supervisor may not believe so and by keeping him in the loop he would be able to feel more in control of his organization. After all, being his organization, he is ultimately accountable for what goes on within it.
Another item that Steve pointed out to me was the possibility of there being a personality conflict. My personality is to be open and relaxed around people. Not talking up a storm, but by nature I prefer to avoid long moments of awkward silence. If such an awkward moment of silence occurs, I am most likely to be one of the people who breaks the silence by asking a question or bringing up a point that people may find interesting. My boss on the other hand was much more reserved and would not interrupt a long awkward moments of silence. Steve suggested using a mirroring technique to help bridge the possible gap the different personalities my supervisor and I had.
After applying the advice Steve suggested, I noticed the level of mistrust begin to diminish. What was most surprising for me was how quickly my supervisor’s mistrust of me dissipated. Within a couple of weeks my supervisor was appearing more comfortable around the things I was doing. I kept him more ‘informed’ by letting him know everyone I spoke with in order to get the tasks he assigned me done. After a while, he became comfortable enough with me reaching out to so many people in different departments (and them contacting me directly) that he eventually told me he didn’t need to know everyone I spoke with. As long as the job got done, he was fine with the way I did it.
Looking back on the whole scenario, I realized that I was very fortunate to have Steve mentor me at this time. Had he not given me his advice based upon his own past experience, the situation would have most likely resulted in a different ending. One where the mistrust my supervisor had for me could have turned into a reason for him to push me out of his organization. The input from Steve allowed me to have a successful track record with that company that eventually led to me receiving a promotion.
If you Decide to Choose a Mentor
There is no limit to the number of mentors you have in your life. Some people have one, others many more. Some mentoring relationship last for less than a year, others last a lifetime. The number of mentors you decide to have is ultimately up to you. Just like with all mutually beneficial relationships, mentorships require time and need to be nurtured.
If you choose to find a mentor, and a mentor decides to choose you, it may be one of the most valuable and profitable relationships you ever have.
Feel that the above information was valuable to you, or that someone else may find this information useful, then feel free to share this site with them. ...Read more!
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