Among other things, I believe that: 

1. What we think about and focus on is what we create in our personal world.
2. We all possess unlimited power and potential that can be nurtured and developed.
3. Deep self-awareness leads to greater disciplined self-management resulting in optimal creativity and positive success. 

Based on that, I KNOW that I am responsible for my thoughts, words, actions, results, and learning – furthermore, I can impact how I choose to perceive this region, how I live, work, and contribute here.  These statements reveal a snippet of insight into why I see the value in an inside out approach to change and development.

The collective consciousness of people in this area reflects on the state of our region and the types of individuals and businesses we attract (the Law of Attraction works!).  As political, business, education, and other leaders work holistically toward common goals with a unified vision of the city in mind – as exemplified by collaborative efforts on the Agenda 360 as well as Vision 2015 initiatives – the power to influence positive outcomes increase exponentially.  More like minds working together toward a cohesive end game, can make things happen more quickly and effortlessly.

If “Cincinnati isn’t done yet” as stated in a few earlier blogs, then every organization and individual in this area plays a crucial role in making this an ideal place to live, work, and play.  An inside out approach, starting with understanding how each person impacts the whole, could make a difference that works.  Being authentic, self-responsible, and living by the Platinum Rule (treat others the way they want to be treated) could be part of our Team CinciNoKY modus operandi – a new status quo.

In closing, here are a few development ideas for readers who want to lead forward momentum in the region by focusing on their own growth to create change and attract additional quality industry and residents (guess I can’t leave the coach in me far behind – I love to provide value & assist in personal and professional transformation, what can I say):

• Know yourself – define and clarify your strengths, weaknesses, accomplishments, values, mission, vision, drivers, unique brand; who are you and who do you want to be.
• Get crystal clear on what you want – understand the direction in which you are going - do your work/life align?
• Adjust your attitude – choose the way you want to think and feel regardless of what others say or do. Identify the things to be grateful for vs. focusing on the negatives. Be the kind of person you want to attract to the area.
• Be present and self-responsible – showing respect to and value for others in the moment builds stronger relationships; be accountable for your actions.
• Take action – positive change can benefit from effort and risk; be involved in the change you want to see.

Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. (Muriel Strode)

The secret of change is to focus all your energy, not on fighting for the old, but on building the new. (Socrates)

It’s an exciting time to be living in this region as we blaze fresh trails while forging toward a future of each of our making.

Let me first say that I am one of those people who see the cup as overflowing (most of the time – yes, I have my down days), the world as full of opportunities, and anything as possible.  No, my middle name isn’t Pollyanna…my eyes are wide open.  I only begin this way to highlight the positive perception I have that a LOT of employers in this region care for their people, our community, and the future of the region.  And, Soapbox helps with its’ dedication to showcasing the positive and sustained transformation in the Cincinnati USA region.

The professional and personal development piece of this is evidenced by the work that we specialists in training, facilitation, coaching, and leadership development are called to do every day.

In 2008, I’ve been approached by organizations and individuals requesting coaching and development around various issues including:

    1. A technically competent manager experiencing performance short falls in areas of interpersonal communication skills, negatively impacting relationships with internal staff and clients as well as putting a strain on productivity.

    2. A valued, talented director exhibits an aggressive, confrontational style resulting in loss of staff, avoidance by co-workers, and diminished project outcomes. 

    3. Development challenges of a team in transition, as they are between leaders, causing chaos while forgetting the ultimate mission of the organization.

    4. High level professionals working in environments that don’t support work/life balance, leaving them burnt out and feeling lack of enthusiasm when performing their job.

This gives an overview of just a few of the areas receiving training, leadership development, and career management to retain employees while allowing them greater satisfaction and productivity on the job.  It can cost from 150% up (of an employees annual compensation) to replace a worker. It seems to me that employers who provide growth opportunities are ahead of the revenue game in the long run. And, they are usually places where people like to work.

Fortunately for those of us who live here, there are many organizations that advocate for development in different ways (and I’m not talking about just technical skill training).  Each year multiple businesses (catch phrase including non-profits, health-care institutions, etc.) sponsor high potential candidates for the Chamber leadership programs (Leadership Cincinnati, WE Lead, C-Change – all awesome learning and social networking opportunities by the way).  Several of the large companies in town support women’s leadership networks as inspirational, learning and development tools.  And, there’s more out there too.

I’m sitting at my office in the ‘burbs listening to the waning of the cicadas’ song as I contemplate this blog entry. I’m also smiling thinking about the other fellow bloggers on Soapbox. It’s fun to learn about others’ perspectives and viewpoints of our region. It’s also good to see that many people who are active in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky echo such positive thoughts about this place.

Many years ago (more than 15 and less than 30) I moved to Cincinnati from stints in Boston and Chicago.  I wanted to move closer to where I grew up (Dayton) and to, as I said at the time, get back to the “golly-gee” Midwest where people are friendly and welcome you with open-arms.  I wanted to live in a place where I could get in my car, drive to big open spaces and parks in under 30 minutes, have trees outside my window instead of another big tall building, and be close to a cosmopolitan area with great arts and entertainment available without living smack dab in the middle of the hustle and bustle (o.k. so that was “back in the day” when gas cost $1.30, a stamp was .20, and a dozen eggs cost .84 according to the wonders of Google).

Two weeks after arriving from Chicago, the large client assigned to me at the Ad Agency where I was hired, left the agency.  My furniture and belongings hadn’t been moved here yet from up north, and I was nervous that the deal with my new employer might fall through.  Fortunately things worked out and I’m glad to have been able to stay.

I recently saw Jack Rouse at a C-Change session and we were remarking about some of the changes we’ve encountered over the years - which in a round-about way leads me to the topic at hand…developing personally and professionally in our home town.  (I don’t usually like to name drop but it was a good segue into the topic).

My experience has been positive with regard to growth and development in CinciNoKY.  It’s probably why I chose the profession I’m in – business and life coaching.  As past president of the now defunct local coaches association and through networking with executive and career management coaches, I associate with colleagues who are active in helping people do their jobs better while also finding greater satisfaction (it’s been proven that those who enjoy their work, perform and contribute at higher levels than those who are unhappy at work).

It’s a pleasure to live in a progressive market where a growing number of local businesses invest in enhancing their work environment, developing strong internal leaders, connecting workers with community contribution, understanding how generational differences impact workforces, being mission and vision driven, and employing training and development for continuous learning and improvement.

It’s apparent in health care, corporations, service providers, arts, non-profits, municipalities, and other arenas.  A past client who leads his organization recently expressed to me that they frequently evaluate staff, the culture, assignments, etc. to ensure being current with changing times and needs of the business.

An oft recited quote seems to apply to much of the development that is going on both inside local companies and within this community with efforts like Agenda 360 and others…

“Be the change you want to see in the world” (Ghandi).

It’s a great time to be in Cincinnati as it develops from the inside out.