A Normal for an Anomaly

I live by lists, reminders and calendar items. Think. Plan. Done. After all, I am the "Efficiency Expert" ...BUT sometimes not having a 'normal' process for an abnormal action can create an issue.

I promised to make business cards for the graduation, so I texted myself a reminder to do it. I gave my ‘normal’ laptop (13”) to the graduation “iPod DJ” to create an appropriate playlist for the grand occasion!

The rest of the story…

The 17” laptop wouldn’t fit in my ‘normal’ bag so I put it and the card paper in a different bag. Sat to print the cards and the paper wasn’t in my ‘normal’ bag. “Hmmm… that’s strange, I specifically remember putting the paper in “a bag”. The paper was in the different bag right in the car and I just forgot that fact.

Moral of the story…

We are die-hard creatures of habit and sometimes ‘situation normal’ can bite.

Practical application…

When doing something outside of your normal routine, make yourself a reminder so the anomaly is not forgotten. This little tip can keep the rhythm of your to-do list in sync.

Haiti Man Unloads Coal - Great Pic

Awesome picture of Haiti man unloading a bag of coal. NewsObserver.com | Nation/World

How to Motivate Creative Knowledge Workers

Daniel Pink on the surprising science of motivation. Autonomy, Mastery and Purpose = how to motivate engaged workers. ROWE = results oriented work environment.

How to Have an Original Idea

Take away: "If I am not afraid to be wrong, I can continue to have original ideas.

SharePoint MySite 101

SharePoint My Site 101

View more presentations from rwuhrman.

Couture iPad Clutch

Couture goes Tech - Osca de la Renta iPad clutch. What.What? http://bit.ly/b2Z9A6 No surprise the sales channel is, "available online only". Can you say, "Test Market?"

http://www.oscardelarenta.com/?folderId=%2Fshoponline%2Fipadclutch%2F&utm_source=Triggermail&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=7-1

Not mad at 'em. I want one; very chic... but somehow I think I'd repurpose the clutch as a REALLY fancy memo pad protector since I'm not that good at the one-handed typing required to be productive and actually get work done on an iPad.

Lorrinda S. Michieka, MBA, PMP® www.movemymountain.com Business IT Solutions

Obtaining Nonprofit 501c3

Obtaining non-profit status (your 501c3) is not hard, but it does require a significant time commitment and some of the same skills and exercises it takes to write a business plan.

1. Register assumed business name at Register of Deeds - ~$30 • Decide Registered Agent

2. Form business entity with Secretary of State’s Office - $125+

• Inc. - Articles of Incorporation details business purpose. a) Do yourself or hire business attorney. b) Samples available. c) NC Secretary of State Form B-01 • Separate personal and corporate assets, i.e., bank accounts, inventory, etc.

• QuickBooks Simple-Start accounting software is free. • If LLC – Articles of Organization a) Single member LLC possible. b) Multi-member, Manager-Managed (popular) • Board of Directors, Bylaws, Operating Agreement, Shareholder Agreement, etc. a) The Board of Directors and not management ultimately responsible for the organization’s performance (fulfilling the mission). • Possible to get 501c3 w/o Inc or LLC, but unusual.

3. IRS Form SS-4 (Application for Employer Identification Number) • Quicker & instant if done online (~15 min.) • IRS Time Estimate: 10 Hours 10 Minutes. • EIN & Articles of Incorporation needed to open business bank account. Some banks offer free business checking.

4. IRS Form 253 (Election by a Small Business Corporation). • S-Corp Election – taxed to shareholder vs corporate itself. • IRS Form 2553 – Time estimate: 16 Hours 22 Minutes.

5. File IRS Form 1023 (with IRS - ~$800 • 30 page form (without schedules & attachments) – like writing a business plan • 100 hour estimate to complete a) 2-9 month IRS approval time: Initial Response, Follow-up Q&A, Determination Letter, etc.

6. Apply for NC Dept of Revenue tax exemption

7. Request NC Charitable Solicitation Letter

8. Annual file IRS Form 990 (Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax)

9. Industry buzz words: • Trust, accountability, transparency & performance.

10. Unlimited pro-bono legal assistance may available for low-wealth organizations. NC LEAP is non-profit arm of NC Bar Association. • Mary Horowitz, Director • http://ncleap.ncbar.org/ • Not as many pro-bono opportunities for non-profits.

SOURCES:

Martin, Marty, JD MPA. (2010, May 20). Starting a Non-Profit. Presentation given at Cameron Village Regional Library, Raleigh, NC.

Matt Cunningham, Esq. (2010, May 18). Choosing Forming and Maintaining A New Business Structure. Presentation given at Raleigh Business and Technology Center/NC LEAP, Raleigh, NC.

BizFilings – The Small Business Incorporation Experts. (n.d.). Filing for Tax-Exempt Status for Non-Profits. Retrieved May 20, 2010 from http://www.bizfilings.com/learn/tax-exempt-nonprofit.aspx .

Mary Horowitz, Esq. (2010, May 4). Applying for Pro-Bono Assistance. Presentation given at Raleigh Business and Technology Center/NC LEAP, Raleigh, NC. --Lorrinda S. Michieka, MBA, PMP movemymountain.com

5 Most Lucrative IT Leader Certifications

Most Lucrative IT Leader Certifications ITIL, PMP & CISSP

Some Things You Must Do Yourself

Laughs with Mom: True story. I bought some nail polish off the clearance rack at CVS drug store... Milani... only 87 cents woo hoo! Got home and it was actually lipstick; totally NOT my shade. I said, "I love that color so much that I'm going to find a nail polish that color." I thought a while about this, knowing that I really don't like to shop and said, "I'm lying... I know good and well that I'll never actually do that.

Mom said, "You better quit that lying so you can make it into the kingdom." I said, "You going?" "Sure am," says Mom. I said, "Can I ride?" ...we shared by biggest laugh. :-)

Some things you just must do for yourself.

10AM Conference Call

When you're wrong, admit it quickly, apologize & do better next time. -LSM

_______________________

From: lorrinda [mailto:lsm@lorrinda.com]
Sent: Friday, January 29, 2010 12:23 PM
Subject: (A POEM)- Re: Confirmation of Scheduled Call


So sorry --bed at 5AM --made deadline, long story.
Set clock, didn’t punch ‘go’-- didn’t mean to cause a worry.
Strangest thing, phone always rings -whether for them or me.
But not this time, nor did you call, guess wasn’t meant to be.


Forgive me --
Lorrinda

"Remembering to Repeat " - An Outcomes-Based Learning Approach

http://www.brainrules.net

This is a very long email I sent to the BDPA Triangle HSCC/SITES Coordinator recommending a 2010 approach to our High School Computer Competition and High School Computer Competition

-----------

Ms. Valerie:

Can we consider using the exact same programming problem as last year's competition. No idea what the problem was, but the familiarity will bode well with returning students. See Rule #6 – Remember to repeat (below). They'll remember the things that they got hung up on and have meaningful, problem specific questions vs having to try to conceptualize how to apply the concepts we're teaching. I’m going for real aha moments here!

I am by no stretch of the imagination a licensed educator, but I am an avid follower of my favorite brain/learning gurus Dr.John Medina, Caroline Leaf, and Dr. Ryuta Kawashima). The science of learning is fascinating to me and I dare say that they are oddly missing from historical teaching methodologies in my opinion.

A programmer’s first job is to see the big picture and understand the problem (right brain), then be able to dissect the problem into manageable chunks (left brain) to be able to use the tools (task lists, time estimates and a particular programming language’s capabilities, syntax, functions, etc) to computerize the logic that solves the problem. I am convinced that learning and retention cannot simply be academic exercises. Dr. Medina says that vision trumps all other senses. I believe that. Pictures are not worth a thousand words. Pictures are priceless. Therefore, one of our challenges is to get the students to SEE the problem in their heads (…and flow charts, entity diagrams, etc) before they can ever have a real chance of solving it.

My learning is easier when I can readily associate something I don’t know with something I already know. Perhaps for the students, solving the problem on one platform (operating system), with one programming language (API) and one set of tools will build the foundation for really understanding that we could easily have used a different OS, language or tool to solve the same problem! That is a real key point.

Additionally, especially in a team effort is initiating (--what’s the problem and what value will it’s solution have?), planning (--what are the steps and resources to finding the solution?), executing (--what are we doing and exactly who is doing what?) and testing/delivering (--how do we know we’re done? –will the teacher/client/judge like it?) the finished solution. For example, when we do our session on public speaking, we could tie into the programming problem by having the students give an oral presentation on their assigned role in solving the problem, their approach and how what they are assigned to do will fit into the big picture that will ultimately solve the problem.

For example, I am a right brain creative infused by a left brain strategist that gives me fits when I have to learn something new. The tow is much easier when I can fully appreciate the value of knowing that new thing. Then I reason with myself on how to use available resources (books, people internet, library) to learn what I need to know.

Yea, I’m doing my TMI thing again, but I feel very strongly about cumulative, outcome-based learning. Almost as strong as I feel about evidence-based decision making, but that’s a whole other carnival. [SMILE] I think learning should be relevant and not just academic, when at all possible, to give learners/students a little instant gratification that will build confidence and critical thinking skills.

Well, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it… Hmmm… think I’ll use this write-up as my blog post tomorrow… since I am clearly passionate about the subject. Sorry it turned into a dissertation of sorts… I’m done… now for the pictures!!

Xox0,

Lorrinda