Michele L. Turner's Blog, page 2

Lessons Learned: Get Your Fill!

Have you ever been in a meeting, as a new employee, and thought: “I have something to add to the conversation, but no, I’m new, I should just wait for more data points before I say something.”. 3 minutes later, you hear the very thing that you were going to say, followed by clapping, and “spot ons”, as if it were the best thing since sliced bread. Don’t get mad…SPEAK UP! Trust yourself. You are there for a reason. You’ve got a seat at the table, and it’s a SMORGASBORD…AND YOU ARE READY. Get your fill :-). And thus endeth the lesson.

Thoughts? Check out my book in the link below for more lessons learned. Please write a review on Amazon if the book resonated with you!Lessons Learned: Short Stories of Continuity and Resilience

Lessons Learned: A Dream Deferred, is not a Dream Denied

My book, Lessons Learned: Short Stories of Continuity and Resilience, has been decades in the making. I had at least 2 chapters written for 4 years or so. I went back and forth with whether it should have a business or a personal focus. For almost 30 years my area of expertise has been in Disasters, Emergencies, Business Interruptions, Risk Management, etc..., yet I've got 51 years experience in this thing called life! Life continued to happen, and at one point I wondered if writing a book was really something that should be on my "Life List".
So, what drove me to finally hunker down and do it? Giving Back. The thought of being able to share my story, both business and personal lessons learned, with people who may have felt like they were the only ones experiencing "x". This pushed me forward. Had I known when I was going through these situations, that I wasn't the only one, it would definitely have helped. Although your experience is customized to you, YOU ARE NOT ALONE! Whether its a reductions in force/layoff, health issues, life...remember: A Dream Deferred, is not a Dream Denied. You've got this!
And thus endeth the lesson...

Thoughts? Check out my book in the link below for more lessons learned. Please write a review, if the book resonated with you!

Lessons Learned: Short Stories of Continuity and Resilience

Lessons Learned: Grace

"the hurrier I go, the behinder I get"...
This may be a famous quote from Lewis Carrolls "Alice in Wonderland" book, but this was also a regular Pennsylvania Dutch saying from my grandmother. Trying to fit too much in a tight time frame, and not closing anything out. And then to top it off, we can be so hard on ourselves, that it makes things even worse. What to do, what to do???
Lessons Learned: Grace- Sometimes we need to slow down, in order to speed up. The same grace that you show others when you acknowledge "hey, everyone is human, take it easy", yes that...that grace...REMEMBER THAT! Lay things out, be honest about what you can do and while every one creates some "stretch" to go above and beyond, make sure that it is reasonable. Setting unrealistic expectations causes frustration, and takes you off of the road to wellness. Being human means that we may miss the mark at times but guess what, by finding one more thing that doesn't work, you're getting it out of the way for the things that will. And thus endeth the lesson...

Thoughts? Check out my book in the link below for more lessons learned. Please write a review on Amazon if the book resonated with you!


Lessons Learned: Short Stories of Continuity and Resilience

Lesson Learned: Boundaries

Yes, there are 24 hours in day...that doesn't mean that you have to use them all! As a "recovering workaholic" I know how it is to really enjoy what you do, and lose track of time while doing it. The challenge is that doing too much, for too long, isn't sustainable. We get so used to doing it, that it becomes "the norm" (even during a time where the norm is not so norm). And then you begin to see that you are not only piling the work on yourself, but others are as well. HOW DARE THEY??!! Uhhhh... you are showing them how you like to work. You can't blame them for following your lead.
Lesson Learned: Boundaries- Many people immediately focus on verbally communicating to others what their boundaries are, however, the question is...what are they being shown? Ensure that your actions match your words. And thus endeth the lesson...

Thoughts? Check out my book in the link below for more lessons learned. Please write a review on Amazon if the book resonated with you!

Lessons Learned: Short Stories of Continuity and Resilience