Good bye Holden Massachusetts, Get ready Austin, Texas

What a great week we had with the folks in Massachusetts this past week.  The folks at Holden Public Safety provided us a terrific (new) facility and were very hospitable themselves.  And, the students in both the Program Manager and Train-the-Trainer courses were there because they were self-motivated and eager to learn.  They asked great questions and actively participated in the various activities we led them through.

This week I had the privilege of working with a fellow instructor that until now I had not worked with.  Again I’m very fortunate because not only do my students learn in class, but I do as well.  I learn from both them as well as my co-instructors.  This week was no exception.  This week, I worked with “Joe”.  Joe is a very kind and giving individual.  He takes his work very seriously and as such is always prepared and ready to go.  While I may have thought I was pretty good leading a class, I really admired his interpersonal skills with his students.  And his presentation style is very effective.  Joe is not a boastful or self-centered individual by any stretch of the imagination.  And to that end, I’m guessing I don’t think he realizes just how impactful he really was this past week.

As I’ve shared with you before in my various posts, I’m truly feel blessed to be doing what I do.  I have met so many nice people over the course of the past year while I’ve been teaching the CERT classes.  And I’ve been to so many interesting places.  I look forward to what lies ahead in future trips.  And because I’ll be sharing those trips with you as well, I hope you enjoy the opportunities as much as what I do.

So to close out our Massachusetts training, I’ll include some pictures and these very kind words from one of our students…

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Hello Tim,

Hope this finds you safe and sound in your home resting up from the class.  Just got home myself and enjoyed reading your blog and the pictures you have shared.  Can’t say enough about how much I enjoyed the class.  I still have a lot to learn but have a lot to pass on to new volunteers and a model of how best to do that.  I am motivated to participate in training our next CERT group.  I know they will teach me as much as I will teach them.  If I leave with one important concept—life is an ongoing, lifelong, exchange of experiences and overcoming of challenges to our survival—serious stuff.  Your class approached this serious concept of self-sufficiency with a perfect recipe of well- presented subject matter, spiced up with individual respect and sharing of life experiences with a wonderful dollop good natured humor tossed in.  Thank-you.

This week coming up, we’ll be in Austin, Texas.  I’m working with two other instructors that I’ve only worked with once before but enjoyed very much.  We’ve got a good size class so we should have great interaction.  But first stop, once my plane lands … Whataburger!

Hope y’all will follow me this coming week.

Learning to be a better instructor

I know what y’all are thinking …. It’s been two days and I wonder what’s been happening in Holden, Massachusetts with the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training.  So, I’m glad you asked, and let me share with you how we are progressing.

We’ve been working through the CERT Train-the-Trainer material.  This course prepares participants to deliver the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) CERT Basic Training course focusing on preparing instructors to:

• Convey the messages and intent of the CERT Program (e.g., safety, teamwork, place in overall community emergency operations plan)
• Assure that students achieve the objectives of the CERT Basic Training
• Create a comfortable, yet managed learning environment.

About two-thirds of the class material consists of a review of the Basic CERT class training material and teaching considerations for each unit.  The other third of the class is spent specifically on instructor development issues, including:

• Your Role as an Instructor – This unit emphasizes that the focus of learning in any training is on the participant. It’s not about the instructor. This unit also stresses the importance of being a good presenter as well as a good instructor. We started out by explaining the goal of every CERT Basic Training class is prepare people to help themselves, their families, and their neighbors, coworkers, and others in the event of a catastrophic disaster.
  Throughout the unit we reviewed the six primary roles of the CERT Basic Training instructor:
  • Subject matter expert
  • Trainer
  • Evaluator
  • Friend and coach
  • Role model
  • Classroom manager

Next we discussed the qualities of a good CERT Basic Training instructor and the importance of how an instructor presents the information.  Finally, we talked about the voice and body language of a good presenter.

• Maximize Learning– When we cover this unit we start out by asking participants to identify positive learning experiences and we use student input to create a consolidate list.We also addressed how people learn. We share with our students that there are three primary learning styles including auditory, visual, and tactile, and how those learners learn and how it impacts teaching and instructors.  Additionally we discussed what adults need to learn and how instructors need to respond to those needs. Physical, emotional, and intellectual factors are addressed.

Next, we presented three techniques that are critical to learning: motivation, reinforcement, and repetition.  We also explored why instructors need to evaluate – to validate learning.

We reviewed the job of the trainer (to transfer knowledge) and discussed what makes up effective and ineffective trainers.  Effective trainers know that they need to periodically assess to see that learners are learning.  The point was made that instructors need to evaluate whether the training is meeting learners’ physical, emotional, and intellectual needs.

We also spent time talking about both formal and informal ways to evaluate and the guidelines for asking and answering questions.  Our discussion included why we ask questions, the kinds of questions that can be asked, how to ask a question, and how to answer a question.  Finally, we provided some guidelines for when and how to give feedback.

• Managing the Classroom – This unit proved to be a very interactive unit with the learning happening primarily through discussion and exercise.  It’s always an important unit because many “instructors-to-be” are the most apprehensive about working with “challenging” learners.  I think once we worked through the material students felt reassured that they could handle many situations that might come up in their classes.

In this unit, we talked about working with learners of various ages: older learners, boomers, Gen X (Twenty-Something’s), and Gen Y, or Millennials.  We covered important considerations for working with all learners.

There’s a nice discussion that we lead the students through that addresses the brain and how it receives and processes information through the hippocampus.  Prior to this discussion, I selected three “participants” to act out disruptive behaviors (pencil tapping, side-bar conversations, and a “know-it-all).  Then, as the unit discussion progressed, my “participants” acted out their disruptive behaviors.  When we completed the unit, the class discussed disruptive behaviors and their impact on the class.  We also discussed working with learners that have physical limitations.

Teach-backs

One of the benefits of this class is the opportunity for students to practice their teaching skills in a no-risk environment.  We do that through “teach-backs”.  Students are grouped together in pairs and each pair is allowed to select a topic that they will then present to the class,  During the presentation, each person is give a five-minute maximum presentation time.  Instructors and peers critique the student instructors.

Tomorrow is our last day here in Massachusetts.  I hope you’ll come back as we say goodbye to our terrific class.

Welcome back to training in Holden, Massachusetts.

Today we wrapped up our first of two classes, Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program Manager.  As I mentioned yesterday, we’re here in Holden, Massachusetts working with the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) conducting CERT Program Manager and Train-the-Trainer classes.

When we got underway this morning, we picked up where we left off at the end of the day yesterday, talking about “Acquiring and managing program resources”.  In this unit, the key discussion items dealt with the physical resources that a typical CERT program will need, where to find them, and what they might cost.  Another resource that a CERT program has is information.  Good data and information are essential support for almost all aspects of the program.  That data and information needs to be collected and maintained in an organized manner.  The final topic in this unit addressed Budgeting and Funding – what to include in a budget and where to find funding to cover the budget.

The remainder of the class was spent covering the following topics:

Delivering and managing effective training and exercises

Delivering training and providing refresher exercises are essential to creating and maintaining a credible CERT program.  In this unit we talked about training and exercises that are required, recommended, or suggested for CERT volunteers.   Specifically, we explained how instructors are able to tailor content from CERT Basic Training to reflect local interests, identify tasks required for managing CERT classes, the elements of a CERT “Training and Exercise Plan”, how to ensure safety during training and exercises, the policies and procedures for operating a local CERT program, how to evaluate and sustain the program.

Policies and Procedures

Like other well managed programs, we talked about why policies and procedures are necessary for running a successful program.  We started out talking about the differences between policies and procedures and why we need to document what our programs will do and how we plan to do it.  We reviewed the key policies and procedures that a CERT program needs to operate smoothly and effectively, and who needs to provide input when a policy or procedure is developed with special emphasis on addressing liability concerns.

One policy that seems to be getting a lot of attention these days is that which deals with “social media”.  CERT Program Managers should ensure that they have a well-written policy in place that addresses what is, and isn’t acceptable use of social media.

Program evaluation

Successful programs must have a process for how it is evaluated and measured for effectiveness.  CERT Programs are no different.  Evaluation is the process by which the Program Manager is able to identify appropriate changes and continuous improvements that will keep the CERT program fully functional.  One of the reasons that program evaluation is done is to ensure consistency in day-to-day operational activities.  By asking “How well are we doing?” the Program Manager is scrutinizing the program’s accomplishments and verifying that they are meeting the standards the program has set.

We also talked about what to evaluate in a CERT Program and how that evaluation might take place using a simple four-step process:

1. decide what you want to learn.
2. figure out a strategy for collecting the information.
3. collect the information, and lastly
4. analyze the information you collect and decide on the next steps.

In the end, the data we collect from our evaluation feeds into a Program Report that is shared with key stakeholders to report progress.

Keeping your program going

In this final unit of the class we addressed the knowledge, skills, and abilities a Program Manager must possess in order to coordinate a program, the elements necessary for sustaining a program, and a technique for identifying program activities that contribute most significantly to program maintenance.

Well, I hope you’ll join me tomorrow as we start our second class – CERT Train-the-Trainer.  Many of our Program Manager students are staying with us and have said they are excited about learning how to be better instructors.  So, c’mon back.

On the road in Holden, Massachusetts

Well, hello from Holden,Massachusetts.  I’m here this week conducting more Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Train-the-Trainer and Program Manager classes for some terrific Massachusetts public safety professionals and citizens.  I’m happy you chose to check-in and see what’s going on here.  I hope you’ll come back each day this week for additional updates not only about our classes, but more importantly about preparedness within this wonderful New England state.

First National Severe Weather Preparedness Week

Before we start talking about our classes though, I wanted to mention that FEMA and NOAA launched the first National Severe Weather Preparedness Week this week (April 22 – 28, 2012).  I’d like to think they did this in recognition of our CERT training (ha, ha).

As the nation marks the first anniversary of one of the largest tornado outbreaks in U.S. history, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agency are teaming up this week to save lives from severe weather.  The two agencies encourage the public to “know your risk, take action, and be a force of nature” by taking proactive preparedness measures and inspiring others to do the same.

Already this year the country has experienced early and destructive tornado outbreaks in the Midwest and South, including a significant number of tornadoes last weekend. May is the peak season for tornadoes.

To “be a force of nature,” FEMA and NOAA encourage citizens to prepare for extreme weather by following these guidelines:

• Know your risk: The first step to becoming weather-ready is to understand the type of hazardous weather that can affect where you live and work, and how the weather could impact you and your family. Check the weather forecast  regularly and sign up for alerts from your local emergency management officials. Severe weather comes in many forms and your shelter plan should include all types of local hazards.
• Take action: Pledge to develop an emergency plan based on your local weather hazards and practice how and where to take shelter. Create or refresh an emergency kit for needed food, supplies and medication. Post your plan where visitors can see it. Learn what you can do to strengthen your home or business against severe weather. Obtain a NOAA Weather Radio. Download FEMA’s mobile app so you can access important safety tips on what to do before and during severe weather. Understand the weather warning system and become a certified storm spotter through the National Weather Service.
• Be a force of nature: Once you have taken action, tell your family, friends, school staff and co-workers about how they can prepare. Share the resources and alert systems you discovered with your social media network. Studies show individuals need to receive messages a number of ways before acting – and you can be one of those sources. When you go to shelter during a warning, send a text, tweet or post a status update so your friends and family know. You might just save their lives, too.
• For more information on how you can participate, visit www.ready.gov/severeweather

What’s happening in Holden?

As I mentioned above, we’re in Holden, Massachusetts this week.  Holden is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts. It is a residential town with a limited business district and was founded in 1741.  The Town Square (center) was donated by John Hancock, former Governor of Massachusetts. The town was originally a rural farming area. It was officially incorporated as a town on January 9, 1741 and was named after Samuel Holden, a merchant and philanthropist. In 1951, the town of Holden adopted a Selectmen-Town Manager form of government. According to the 2010 census, the population was 17,346.  The town has a total area of 36.2 square miles, of which 35.0 square miles is land and 1.2 square miles, or 3.4%, is water. The landscape is dominated by hills and rivers, including the Quinapoxet River.

The facility we are training in this week is the city’s new Public Safety facility that houses Holden’s Police, Fire, EMS, Ambulance, and combined Dispatch and Emergency Operations Center.  The new facility is located on the site of the former fire station which was renovated at the time of construction for public safety use as well as for use by other Town offices. The fire station includes 3 double-deep apparatus bays and one back-approach apparatus bay, living and sleeping quarters, decon and SCBA areas, turnout gear rooms and storage. The police station includes a 2-bay sally port, prisoner processing area, private interview rooms, and secure evidence processing area. The departments share the public lobby, community room and communication/911 dispatch area.

What we did in class today

Today we started a two-day CERT Program Manager class.  This course prepares participants to establish and sustain an active local CERT program.  Today, we addressed the following core components of a local CERT program and focused our discussion on effective practices for:

Developing Goals, Objectives, and a related strategic plan – Goals important to all programs, both established and new.  Program Managers need to develop both an overall program goal as well as specific objectives necessary to accomplish the goal.  We provided students with a 5-step goal setting process:

1)  Identify community and sponsor needs

2)  Develop draft goal and objectives

3)  Test goal/objectives with sponsors and stakeholders

4)  Periodically evaluate for progress toward achieving objectives, and appropriateness of objectives, and

5)  Develop new goal/objectives as needed

• Promoting local CERT programs – Why we promote and to whom, the importance of partnerships, program promotion and goal setting, how to initiate and foster partnerships, and the promotional message – what’s do we want others to know and how will we communicate that?
• Orienting, managing and retaining CERT members
• Recruiting, funding, managing, and retaining CERT trainers
• Acquiring and managing program resources – including identifying physical resource needs, budgeting and funding, and managing data.   One of the resources that a CERT program has is information. Good data and information are essential support for almost all aspects of the program. That information needs to be collected and maintained in an organized manner.

Well, it’s late and we’ve got a busy day tomorrow.  I hope you’ll check back with us tomorrow and throughout the remainder of the week.

With Social Media – Can you hear me now?

As I’m putting the finishing touches on this edition of my blog, severe weather and tornadoes are slamming the Midwest again.  I encourage you to go back into some of my previous blogs and read “Tornado Safety” (February 29, 2012) as well as “Using Insurance to Ensure Business Continuity” (January 31, 2012).  If you are in an area that is experiencing severe weather, please pay attention to the weather reports and warnings and seek shelter if instructed to do so.  And if you aren’t in one of these areas, take advantage of the quite time to make sure your preparedness kit(s) and plans are updated (see below) because you don’t know what lies ahead.

MidAmerica Contingency Planning Forum (MCPF) 

This past week has been a highpoint not only for me but for the MidAmerica Contingency Planning Forum (MCPF).  The MCPF is a business continuity professional organization I co-founded here in St. Louis over 14 years ago.  This past week we finally brought our website up live (www.mcpf.us). The project was led by our Vice President and the Board rallied behind him.  It’s been a great team effort!  I invite you to take a look at our new site.  Over the next few months we’ll be using our website to add value for our members as well as to promote the organization.  Also, for those of you that have a profile on LinkedIn, the MCPF has a LinkedIn group page as well and I would encourage you to join our group and get active in the discussions.

Millersville University

This week I had the chance to be the featured presenter on a webinar that was hosted by Millersville University.  The Center for Disaster Research and Education at Millersville University sponsors a virtual seminar series for the University and larger community. The Center houses a minor program in Environmental Hazards and Emergency Management and a master’s program in Emergency Management.  The seminars are mainly for the students and faculty in these programs in addition to the larger University community.  The sessions are live sessions online which then are later made available as podcasts.

One of my former students attends Millersville and is a graduate assistant there.  She invited me to speak on a subject of my choice (sometimes that can be dangerous).  My presentation was titled “Business Continuity and Preparedness through Social Media”.  I thought I’d share some of my presentation with you in this blog.  If you want to see a copy of the PowerPoint slides, visit my LinkedIn profile where I posted a copy on Slide Share.

It’s All Communication

From the beginning of time we have been communicating … or at least trying to.  Forget the men vs women issue; that’s an entirely separate blog!   In its earliest forms, communication was in the form of cave drawings.  As “technology” began to develop ancient civilizations began writing on parchment in the form of scrolls.  Jumping ahead in time the telegraph came into being and then the telephone which in turn brought about facsimile (fax) machines.  And let’s not forget about pagers and cell phones and certainly not the Citizens Band (CB) radios … “Breaker- Breaker good buddy”

Now, add to our “modern” communications the birth and growth of personal computers which in turn brought us e-mail and instant messaging (IM).  According to “Email Statistics Report” – THE RADICATI GROUP, 2011-2015, In 2011, the typical corporate email user sends and receives about 105 email messages per day.  Furthermore, the report mentions that the number of worldwide email accounts is expected to increase at an average annual growth rate of 7% over the next four years.  As far as IM is concerned, in 2011, the number of worldwide IM accounts was estimated to be nearly 2.6 billion and expected to realize an average annual growth rate of 11%.

Social Media

So what is “Social Media”?  Basically, it’s communication that uses both web-based and mobile technologies (ie smart phones).  It’s communication that has a one-to-many relationship in that one person can send out a “message” to many people and subsequently engage in two-way dialogue.  A great analogy I read once said, think of regular media as a one-way street where you can read a newspaper or listen to a report on television, but you have very limited ability to give your thoughts on the matter.  Social media, on the other hand, is a two-way street that gives you the ability to communicate too.

In 2011, the total number of worldwide social networking accounts, including both consumer and corporate accounts, was nearly 2.4 billion (Facebook alone has an estimated 845 million monthly active users) and this figure (2.4B) is expected to grow to nearly 3.9 billion by year-end 2015.  Let’s face it … Social Media is here to stay.

Using Social Media in Disasters

Let’s look at some examples of how social media has been used in past disasters:

• Japan earthquake/tsunami – Ushahidi was used to create the largest crisis map to date with over 8,000 reports received via social media about shelters, food stores, cell phone charging centers and road closures.
• Joplin tornado – a hospital administrator tasked one woman — who had little more than a Facebook account — to track down 1,100 hospital employees who were missing.  A few days later, all 1,100 had been located through the Internet.The Red Cross tweets Location of shelters and how to care for pets during the emergency
• Dramatic scenes of the US Airways plane that crashed into the Hudson River were first seen on Twitter
• When a gunman opened fire in a Soldier Readiness Center, Twitter was able to provide news and updates to the public as well as soldiers around the world!

The Challenge

In a recent Computerworld article  it was noted that in a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Request For Information (RFI) the bureau claimed that “social media” networks have been trumping police, firefighters and news media when it comes to communicating news of developing incidents and protests.  They also stated “Social media is rivaling 911 services in crisis response and reporting,”

In a crisis, social media can provide huge quantities of data about an unfolding event. To be useful, the data has to be analyzed, in near real time, and that analysis has to be accurate and presented to the right people (decision makers) who can act on it quickly. Social media analytics, text analytics and sentiment analysis are all very applicable to help with this analysis.

How much data?  According to WordPress, its system powers over 68 million blogs worldwide, with 500,000 new posts and 400,000 new comments generated on an average day.  Facebook reported it has more than 800 million active users, who upload more than 250 million photos daily.  YouTube stated that 100 million people “like,” share or comment on something on the site every week.  Twitter’s chief executive officer revealed that the social network had over 100 million active users worldwide, and the company said it was processing 250 million Tweets a day.

Social media is constantly changing and constantly moving.  So how do we stay ahead of the game, instead of always being behind it?  Part of the challenge lies in the nature of social media itself.  As a self-generated means of communication, social media is an excellent resource for real-time information on disasters. But the sheer volume of news and events created immediately after an event poses a huge challenge for emergency responders trying to monitor the aftermath.  The instantaneous nature of social media had built up enormous expectations for a speedy response.  The real strength of social media, it seems, lies in both preparation for these events; like warnings and information, including evacuation notices, weather updates and lists of resources, and after the event such as where to get help.

Considerations

• Organizations should have a Social Media policy in place that clearly defines acceptable social media practices.
• Organizations should only use social media tools that can contribute to the success of their social media campaigns.
• They should only use tools they have the time to plan and execute the use of.
• Organizations should have a plan for their messages and make those messages clear and coherent.
• Delegate social media tasks only to people in the organization who are aware of the organization’s communication strategies.
• Social media should not be treated as a “low-level task”.  It should be viewed as a strategic communications tool
• Social media is more than a “new” place to communicate during a disaster/emergency, it really is “THE” place to communicate

Let me close by saying I’ll be back on the road again.  Watch soon for new blogs from Worcester, Massachusetts and then Austin, Texas.   In the meantime continue getting prepared ….

Getting Prepared In a Year

Well, let’s continue on with our preparedness activities.  Here’s what you can do now to add to your preparedness kit – and we’ll focus on first-aid.

The following should be in your first-aid kit:

• Aspirin and/or acetaminophen
• Compresses
• Rolls of gauze and/or bandages
• First-aid tape
• Adhesive bandages – assorted sizes
• Also, extra hearing aid batteries (if needed)

Things To Do:

Check with your child’s day care or school to find out about their disaster plans.

Good-bye Topeka … Hello Dale Carnegie

Martians are landing on earth! – “War of the Worlds”; H. G. Wells

“Human sacrifice, cats and dogs living together, mass hysteria” – Dr. Peter Venkman; Ghostbusters

Happy April Fool’s Day!

No joke, we finished our trip to Topeka, Kansas two days ago.  We had a terrific class and an outstanding (unique) facility to teach in.  I was extremely pleased to see how much support the State of Kansas provides local communities with regards to Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) and how dedicated the members of these teams are to helping their communities.  On our last day, the class presented me and my co-instructor with a beautiful 35^th Infantry Division Association Challenge Coin as a remembrance of our time together.

The 35th Infantry Division  (“Santa Fe”) has been a formation of the National Guard since World War I.  It is headquartered at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas and its personnel come from Illinois, Kansas and Missouri.

Along with a picture of the Challenge Coin, I’m including other pictures that I took from the Kansas National Guard Museum.

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How to Win Friends and Influence People

On the drive to Kansas, and partially on the way home, I took advantage of my time and listened to the audiobook “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie.  The book was first published in 1936 and has undergone several revisions.  It has sold 15 million copies, and has been translated into almost every language on earth.  In the end, the book contains timeless principles on how to make people like you, and how to win others to your way of thinking. I’m embarrassed to say, that in all of my reading, this was a book that I had not read as of yet.  Am I glad I listened to this on my drive to Kansas.  For anyone who wants to be more effective in relating, communicating and leading people, this book is a must read.  And for those in the business continuity/emergency management fields, remember much of what we do is through relationships with others.

Fundamental Techniques in Handling People

• Don’t criticize, condemn or complain. – People rarely blame themselves for anything, so if you criticize them not only are they unlikely to change, but also they may resent toward you.  If you want to gather honey, don’t kick over the beehive.
• Give honest and sincere appreciation. – People will go long way – sometimes even become insane – just to get the appreciation they need. So be a person who gives honest and sincere appreciation to others. That’s the big secret of dealing with people. If you do that, you can’t keep people from liking you.  The biggest desire of human nature is the desire to be important.  And that’s the big secret of dealing with people.
• Arouse in the other person an eager want.

Six Ways to Make People Like You

• Become genuinely interested in other people. – As Carnegie himself said “You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.”
• Smile – The way to make a good first impression is so simple that we sometimes forget it: smile. When you smile, people will feel that you are glad to meet them. They will feel accepted and get a good first impression about you.
• Remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language – People put tremendous importance on their names. Therefore it will be much easier for you to win their hearts if you approach them by using their names. Unfortunately, we often forget names.
• Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves – It may seem counterintuitive, but being a good conversationalist isn’t about how good you talk. It’s about how good you LISTEN. Encourage others to talk about themselves and be a good listener. People will feel appreciated and they will regard you as a nice person to talk with.
• Talk in terms of the other person’s interests.
• Make the other person feel important – and do it sincerely – To make people like you, make them feel important and do it sincerely. The desire to feel important is perhaps the deepest need someone has, so if you give it, you will win their hearts.

Win People to Your Way of Thinking

• The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it – You can only lose if you argue because – no matter what the outcome of the argumentation is – you won’t win their heart. So the way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it.
• Show respect for the other person’s opinions. Never say, “You’re wrong.” – A sure way of making enemies is by saying that they are wrong. People don’t like that, regardless of whether they are actually wrong or not. Such statements hurt their self-esteem. So learn to respect other people’s opinion, even when you disagree.
• If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically.
• Begin in a friendly way.
• Get the other person saying “yes, yes” immediately – If you want to win other people to your way of thinking, it’s important to make them agree with you from the beginning. The way to do that is by asking questions that they will inevitably answer with “yes”. Every time they say “yes” they will become more receptive toward you. At the end, there is a good chance that they will accept the idea they previously rejected. This is a technique used by Socrates to convince his opponents.
• Let the other person do a great deal of the talking.
• Let the other person feel that the idea is his or hers.
• Try honestly to see things from the other person’s point of view – There must be a reason why people say or act the way they do. Find that reason and talk from their point of view. If you understand them, they will in turn understand you.
• Be sympathetic with the other person’s ideas and desires.
• Appeal to the nobler motives.
• Dramatize your ideas.
• Throw down a challenge.

Be a Leader: How to Change People Without Giving Offense or Arousing Resentment

A leader’s job often includes changing your people’s attitudes and behavior.  Some suggestions to accomplish this:

• Begin with praise and honest appreciation – As a leader, we sometimes need to correct the people we lead. But how can we do that without offending them? The answer is by praising and giving honest appreciation first. When we do that, they will become much more receptive to the correction we give.
• Call attention to people’s mistakes indirectly.
• Talk about your own mistakes before criticizing the other person.
• Ask questions instead of giving direct orders.
• Let the other person save face.
• Praise the slightest improvement and praise every improvement. Be “hearty in your approbation and lavish in your praise.” – The best way to develop good traits in others is not by punishing them for incorrect actions but by rewarding them for correct actions. Praise every improvement they make, even the slightest one, and they will go to the right direction.
• Give the other person a fine reputation to live up to – A good way to get others do things the way you want it is by giving them a fine reputation to live up to. For instance, if you want someone to be diligent then treat her as a diligent person and say so to her. Most likely she won’t disappoint you.
• Use encouragement. Make the fault seem easy to correct.
• Make the other person happy about doing the thing you suggest.

Getting Prepared In a Year

OK, hopefully you have been keeping up with our preparedness journey this year.  We are ready to make our next stop along the way.  Here’s what you can do now to add to your preparedness kit:

When you are at the grocery store, I want you to pick-up the following items:

• one gallon of water (per person, and don’t forget your pets too)
• A canned meat (i.e. tuna, chicken, ravioli, chili, beef stew, Spam, corned beef, etc.)
• A canned fruit (i.e. peaches, pears, mandarin oranges, applesauce, etc.)
• one can vegetables (i.e. green beans, kernel corn, peas, beets, kidney beans, carrots, etc.)
• two rolls of toilet paper
• an extra toothbrush
• a travel-size toothpaste
• (if needed) any special foods for special diets

Things To Do:

• Have a fire drill at home.