Dr. John Maxwell Leadership Conference

Internationally renowned author, speaker and leadership expert John Maxwell was recently in Lexington for a conference that featured attendees from several sectors of the workforce (i.e. government, education, profit and non-profit). There was also a youth leadership track where high school students from around the state participated in sessions led by Dr. Tim Elmore. Dr. Elmore has recently written a book on how to lead Gen Y. What a wonderful surprise to see fellow GCDFs from EKCEP attend this dynamic conference!

Dr. Maxwell shared from his most recent leadership book Everyone Communicates, Few Connect: What The Most Effective People Do Differently. His presentation was an excellent reminder that success is really just being able to connect with people. Similar to networking, we need to be conscious of other people and how we can help them. We are either a plus or a minus, adding to or subtracting from relationships. Essentially, connecting is about character. Similar to GCDF trainings, Dr. Maxwell also touched upon the importance of not only what we say, but how we say it and non-verbal communication. The following were some of Dr. Maxwell's suggested tips for connecting. Be available and open for others. In getting to know someone new, ask them genuine questions. Be conscious of what you can do to help others. Create experiences that make time with others more enjoyable.

If you are not already a fan, consider reading a few of Dr. Maxwell's leadership books as part of your own personal and professional development plan.

Celebrating Entrepreneurs

During our fall GCDF trainings, we have talked quite a bit about entrepreneurial characteristics and resources available in your communities to help people begin businesses. In small groups, we have also brainstormed some great business ideas for a recession and business ideas targeting baby boomers. In fact, in 2009 about 6% of job seekers went off unemployment because they started their own business.

Last week (November 15-21) was Global Enrepreneur Week where millions of people around the world gathered to generate new ideas and seek better ways of doing things. The goal of the week was to especially encourage young people to embrace innovation, imagination, and creativity. In Kentucky, the folks over at Awesome, Inc. launched the first ever Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame. Some of the inductees included John Y. Brown who grew the KFC dynasty worldwide and John Schnatter who founded Papa Johns Pizza.

Each year, Awesome, Inc. in Lexington hosts StartUp weekends where entrepreneurial minded folks network, brainstorm, develop ideas, and learn tools to launch a business. They also offer business/meeting space, mentoring, and technology development labs. Such business incubators are proving to be a beneficial resource.

What can we as GCDFs do to help clients in our region consider beginning a business as their next career?

Middle KY Site Visit

Last week took us to Jackson, Kentucky and the Middle Kentucky Community Action Agency for a first time training opportunity. We enjoyed meeting the local staff, having lunch together, and taking a driving tour of Breathitt and Lee counties. It is amazing how large these counties are and how competitive their sports teams are. We look forward to future visits with the Middle Kentucy folks.

Contractions!!!!!!!

As a GCDF, you know the job market is tight, right?


The overall unemployment rate in the United States is sitting at around 9.6 percent.

This statistic is almost double the unemployment rate for years. What is really going on? Economists are trying to gain a grasp on all the complexity of the market, when really it is quite simple:

Technology just blew up a HUGE balloon, tied the knot and now is sqeezing the workforce.

Let me explain.

The huge balloon of technology

Technology has ended the industrial age as we know it. We are know in a knowledge economy where information is instant and available to the masses. This access to knowledge is like someone took an empty balloon, filled it with air and gave a new dimension to what has previously been lifeless.

The explosion of the computer, technological resources and the Internet has flourished for the most part. The dot-com bust caused the big balloon to be tied with a knot.

Now, the balloon is being squeezed. If you took a balloon, blew it up, tied a knot and squuezed it, you would see the American economy at work.

How?

Well, when you sqeeze one section and it contracts, another section of the baloon is forced to expand. It is the nature of expansion.

Our recession that has been so negatively portrayed by the media is a contraction in the market. The key to our dismay is that NO ONE is pointing to the expansion and movement in another part of this balloon. When one part contracts, another expands.

So what is contracted in the market? The jobs that are no longer viable because technology has made them faster, easier and cheap. What is expanding? The businesses that make it faster, easier and cheaper for the employer using technology as the catalyst for change. It is a simple equation that has had devastating results because we have been largely unprepared for the intensity of the squeeze.

In the end, if our nation recognized and prepared for the contraction, this unemployment rate would have been minimized. Economists can only predict. However, it would be a beneficial resource to have a career counselor as an advisor to the President. They focus on when the balloon is has air being pumped into it not just cry like a baby when everyone thinks it has popped.

It hasn't. It has just been squeezed. In a future postI will focus on our major resource to take us to the height of this new economy. You can probably guess what that is.

Bell Whitley Site Visit

Today's training took us to Pineville where we met with our GCDFs and some of their colleagues for resume and interview training. There was some lively discussion related to local norms and how jobs are obtained. During the afternoon we had the chance to learn more about client communities. Thanks for your wonderful hospitality.

Training Date Change

Please note the following new date.

March 4-5, 2011 GCDF Class of 2008 Training #5

"GCDF Forecast Tools for Client Success"

National Career Development Month

November is National Career Development Month. Hopefully your agencies have some special programs planned. For a list of creative ideas for all populations go to http://associationdatabase.com/aws/NCDA/pt/sp/ncdmonth (Look on the right hand column under NCD Month Resources).