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Index section

1. Welcome to Elements!
2. Planning for Tools
3. Links: Goddesses, Religion, Biotech
4. Coaching Notes: Values
5. Upcoming Events: Decision Making Tele-Class, Healthcare
6. Newsletter Notes

Welcome to Elements!

This edition of Elements is shorter and late due to my
procrastination (See the article on Coaching Notes
where I finally admit to my value of procrastination.).
To explore your darker values, like my perceived one of
procrastination, I highly recommend reading, "The Dark
Side of the Light Chasers", by Debbie Ford.

I've included a few websites that I've enjoyed.  I've
had fun and learned about biotech, goddesses, and
religions!

My coaching business is doing great and it's keeping me
busy.  I am so inspired by everyone I work with.   This
cutting edge business of mine is a combination of
coaching and project management.  I have several
proposals out to speak on the combination of these two
fields.  I strongly believe that project managers
benefit tremendously when they spend time learning
about the soft side of their management style,
alternative approaches to manage, influence and direct
people and teams.  A close friend suggested I call
myself a "proach".  Coaches' benefit by knowing when
and how to add structures and a process to people and
team-related (project management) issues and goals,
hence - "proaching".

Sincerely,

Star

 

2. Planning for Tools

If you try to break a twig with a chainsaw or to cut
down a tree with your hands, you'll either get hurt or
not get the job done.   Knowing what tool to use before
you start of job and knowing how to use it reduces the
odds on the amount of pain that will be caused and also
increases the ability to complete the job.

Planning is a puzzle that will never be completely
solved.  Planning brings together a variety of stuff to
be fit into a unified, realistic, affordable set of
steps.  It brings together actions, people, and
milestones that hopefully become efficient and smooth
in producing quality results, while bringing enjoyment
and learning along the way.  Part of the stuff to be
fit into the puzzle that is frequently overlooked are
the tools to be used for the project.  It's easy to see
that the chainsaw is a better tool than your hands for
cutting down a tree. However, will it be available and
ready to use when it's needed and will there be
somebody who knows how to use it?  If the answers are
"No", then the schedule may slip because time must be
added to secure a date the chainsaw is available, to
make it ready for use, and to either read the operating
instructions, practice using it, or find a skilled
teacher.  Instead of the chainsaw, a two-person tree
saw might be more aligned with a personal value of
environmental friendliness.  In the planning stage,
selecting the right tool with a better alignment to
values saves redirection and time later on.

Here's a checklist for the selection of tools:

A. TOOL SELECTION
Depending on the complexity and possible choices, the
selection of a tool can be a whole project onto itself.
Months and years are sometimes spent selecting the
right tools for a project.

**Match - Does it do the job (s) it's required for?
**Features - What ones will be used for this project?
**Cost - What are the startup and ongoing costs: initial, training, supporting, ongoing maintenance?
**Ownership - What are the types of ownership-related issues: Direct ownership, upgrades required? Is it a new purchase or a rental?  Or will you borrow it or hire an expert with the tool?
**Reuse - Can it be used for other project?
**Range - What's the smallest and largest range or scope that the tool works for on the current project?
**Ease of Use - How easy is it to learn, to use a new feature, or remember one already learned?
**Expandability - Will it support larger or smaller similar projects?
**Safety - What regulations, standards and guidelines are needed or used for it?
**Security - Who has access to it, and how?
**Industry - Who is the competition, the market, and what is the time to it becoming obsolete?
**International - Where will it be used?
**Maintenance - What is the frequency of maintenance? How will maintenance be provided and who will provide it? What is the cost?

B. AVAILABILITY
**Finding it - Easy to locate and is it readily available?
**Other Users - Who else or what other projects might be using it when you need it?
**Reserve it - Is there a process to reserve it during your project time?

C. TRAINING and EXPERIENCE
**Type of Training - Is training obtained by reading the book, by classroom training, or by articles? Is online training needed and offered?
**Experience - What do experienced users of the tools say about it?
**Practice - Will a practice use of the tool be needed to test it and learn it?
**Experts - Can you identify names of experts you can rely on for answers?

D. PERFORMANCE CHECK and ADJUSTMENTS
Peak Performance - What are the requirements and the frequency of adjustments needed to get have the tool function at peak performance?

E. PROCESSES TO BE ESTABLISHED
**Availability Schedule - When will the tool be used and who will use it?
**User - Who is approved to use it and what is the process to approve users?
**Maintenance Schedule - When will maintenance occur?

F. IMPACT TO OTHERS
**Storage - Where and what type of storage is used?                                                                                **What environment is required and what security is in place?
**Other uses  - Are similar projects allowable?
**Policies to be considered - Are policies needed that are specific to this tool?
**Other Tools - Are other tools needed to support it?
**Liability - What are the issues concerning general safety and security?

Here are some thoughts to ponder:

What comes first the tool or the project?
What's your favorite multi-purpose tool?
What's your favorite single purpose tool?
What tools are needed for planning?
Why not just call a tree removal service if it all seems too difficult?

"To do good work, one must first have good tools." -
Chinese Proverb, Confucian Analects

"Man is a tool-using animal. without tools he is
nothing, with tools he is all." - Thomas Carlyle,
Scottish Historian
 

top

3. Links

www.massbio.org - Information on Biotechnology in
Massachusetts
The Massachusetts Biotechnology Council is a non-profit
organization that provides service and support for the
Mass Biotechnology industry.  There is easy and helpful
information on education, companies and job openings.

http://www.beliefnet.com/story/76/story_7665_1.html -
Quiz that matches your beliefs to a religion
Answer 20 questions, rate their importance and out pops
a list of religions that most match your answers.

www.paleothea.com/quiz.html - Quiz to identify your
Goddess type.  Answer a set of quirky questions to discover which
goddess is most like you.  Then you can learn about her
and her stories.

 

4. Coaching Notes

 After a year of good intentions, I've finally taken
action that will move me forward.  I've contacted
somebody else about doing my website.    Stubbornness,
pride and procrastination got in my way.  I was too
stubborn to give up on something I knew I could do, too
prideful to admit that I'm not technical anymore, and I
procrastinated in moving forward because nothing was
driving me to it.  After initial meetings with two
professionals, a writer for the web and a web techie, I
felt great and it's moving forward.

I had stubbornly kept at it and chipped away every
month doing a little bit more. I collected websites I
liked, I designed (and redesigned many times) the pages
and hierarchical views on little yellow sticky paper,
and I discovered a visual style I liked.  My pride kept
me from just settling for what I'd done. I had
completed one site in raw html and another one using a
tool called Microsoft Publisher. My efforts were not
good enough to represent me the way I wanted to.  In
this case, procrastination caused me to know more about
what I wanted for my web site. The opportunity was
recently presented to me to work with two wonderful
professionals. That opportunity might not have been
there if had I jumped in right away.  My values of
stubbornness, pride and procrastination served me well
in this case.

The discovery of these values was through inspection
and examination of my day-to-day actions and
interactions.  They were so close to me that I hadn't
clarified them completely until reflection.  By looking
at them from an alternative perspective, I saw
determination, confidence, and a need for the timing to
be right and comfortable for me.  Ownership of these
values caused me to take actions that aligned with my
values.  I needed to have professionals I trusted and
with whom I had a good relationship to take on my
website.  Strangers, even from the best design firms,
where not acceptable to me for this job.  Awareness of
procrastination caused me to examine items further
rather than let them fester on my "to do" list.  The
balancing of procrastination with a "get it done now"
attitude and defining "the right focus" is an area I am
now conscious of and I continue to struggle with this
new awareness.

In coaching, value discovery, ownership, balance and
integration into professional and personal lives leads
to clarity and comfort in decision-making and the
actions to take.  I have an abundance of exercises,
tools, and skills to assist in values coaching.
Everyday life, moments of anger, obsessive behaviors,
and times of joy are all clues. When core values are
lived everyday, life is more fulfilling and a heck of a
lot easier.
 

5. Events: Decision Making and Healthcare

Thursday, April 4, 6PM, Network World Offices,
Southboro, MA  - Networking Night with Me and Carole!
I am presenting and facilitating a Night of Networking
with Carole Greenfield that is sponsored by MassWIT.
The April 4 Networking Night is based on the hints and
tips from last month's Elements and from a previous WIN
meeting.   For more information just show up or contact
me.   MassWIT is a local chapter of www.worldwit.org,
which is a global online community for women in
technology and those involved in the technical sector.
It has over 10,000 members worldwide.  They provide
free resources to community members on jobs, careers,
and business advice to promote women in technical and
leadership roles.

Do you know Health Professionals, who want high-value
low-tech, easy-budget ways to learn? If so, please have
them visit the following site for a listing of
up-coming TeleClasses that are sure to enrich their
lives: http://www.healthliteracy.com. Or, contact Jane
Kalagher,
Midlife Coach @ (978)433-6450 or
mailto:jane@coachingresources.com.

6. NEWSLETTER NOTES

Elements    March 2002
Written by: Star Dargin
Edited by: Ruth Gleba, gleba@aol.com

Advertising will be accepted.
Contact Star for rates at: stars@stardar.com

Personal submissions will only be published with
permission from the submitter, who is responsible for
ensuring rights to the material. Based on your
preference, submissions can be published anonymously.

Elements is published 12 times a year.
The deadline for the next issue is April 14, 2002

To subscribe or unsubscribe send email to stars@stardar.com

The opinions expressed in Elements are the author's
viewpoint.  While every effort has been taken to verify
the accuracy of the content, such information is
subject to change without notice. Elements is not
responsible for inadvertent errors.

Star Dargin
34 Robinson Road, Littleton, MA 01460
978486-4603

Star Dargin is an independent coach, consultant and
trainer and is a partner of Shared Learning
International: www.sharedlearningint.com  As a
professional coach she collaborates with individuals
and teams to provide focus and balance in achieving
personalized results. As a consultant, she specialized
in bringing software methodologies and project
management to life for business, teams and individuals.