1. BLOG FEEDBACK Ryan Brown CSR 309 April 2, 2007

2. How You Present Yourself? February 11, 2007 Post: On Wednesday in class we presented our group projects that we made in class. Something that really stood out to me was the fact that a lot of the groups had similar ideas. For example, I can think of at least three groups that used boxes and stacked them on top of each other. But the point I am trying to make is that what really made a difference was the way in which the person who presented their groups project to the class. This also relates to the real world. We are all alike and different in our own ways, but what we are responsible for is to differentiate ourselves from others. How I present myself must be better than those around me. Yes, a first impression is really important, but so is presentation. How we do this is up to each of us. On Wednesday in class we presented our group projects that we made in class. Something that really stood out to me was the fact that a lot of the groups had similar ideas. For example, I can think of at least three groups that used boxes and stacked them on top of each other. But the point I am trying to make is that what really made a difference was the way in which the person who presented their groups project to the class. This also relates to the real world. We are all alike and different in our own ways, but what we are responsible for is to differentiate ourselves from others. How I present myself must be better than those around me. Yes, a first impression is really important, but so is presentation. How we do this is up to each of us.Feedback: How we present ourselves is very important no matter what situation we are in. I agree first impressions are also very important but it doesn't stop there. We are always being judged in all situations of our lives. It can be at a job by a boss or even by our roomates that we live with. You see a lot of people who don't care how they present themselves and they probably just don't get it. Everything from physical presentation like being clean cut to just being polite and friendly they don't see the importance. I especially agree with the point that we are alike in certain ways and need to figure out how to stand out from the rest. We will all be competing for the same jobs in the real world and many of us will look the same to employers. What will each one of us do to differentiate ourselves from the rest of the pack? How we present ourselves is very important no matter what situation we are in. I agree first impressions are also very important but it doesn't stop there. We are always being judged in all situations of our lives. It can be at a job by a boss or even by our roomates that we live with. You see a lot of people who don't care how they present themselves and they probably just don't get it. Everything from physical presentation like being clean cut to just being polite and friendly they don't see the importance. I especially agree with the point that we are alike in certain ways and need to figure out how to stand out from the rest. We will all be competing for the same jobs in the real world and many of us will look the same to employers. What will each one of us do to differentiate ourselves from the rest of the pack?

3. First Impressions and Presenting Yourself What do people really think of us? Click on icons

4. Kirk Weisler March 7, 2007 Post: What an inspiration? After listening to his presentation the other day in class, it made me realize how each and every day we miss all the little things, which really do matter! I tried the banana trick and it really does work! I never thought about this the way he did....we tend to take one person's way of doing things and implement it into our daily activities, actions, etc....but is it the correct way? Or just, the only way we know? Kirk is the type of guy who makes a difference! After thinking about it, this is the type of person I would like to be. I work at the Buckle, which is a clothing retailer, and I want to be like Jessica from Nordstroms. I want people to remember me the way Kirk and his wife remember Jessica. I have always had strong morals and goals in my life, but after hearing such a remarkable man speak I begin to think to myself...How can I make myself better?! I want to be more like him! What have I accomplished lately? Without this class, I don't think I would be asking myself this right now. What an inspiration? After listening to his presentation the other day in class, it made me realize how each and every day we miss all the little things, which really do matter! I tried the banana trick and it really does work! I never thought about this the way he did....we tend to take one person's way of doing things and implement it into our daily activities, actions, etc....but is it the correct way? Or just, the only way we know? Kirk is the type of guy who makes a difference! After thinking about it, this is the type of person I would like to be. I work at the Buckle, which is a clothing retailer, and I want to be like Jessica from Nordstroms. I want people to remember me the way Kirk and his wife remember Jessica. I have always had strong morals and goals in my life, but after hearing such a remarkable man speak I begin to think to myself...How can I make myself better?! I want to be more like him! What have I accomplished lately? Without this class, I don't think I would be asking myself this right now.Feedback: People like Kirk are amazing people and can really make a difference in others lives. Just to hear him speak was a huge motivation and you can tell that he just truly loves doing what he does. Most of us were dreading sitting there for almost 5 hours but it flew by in no time and was so interesting and inspiring. He really makes you see how easy it can be to really make a difference and effect someone in a positive way. And I agree I think everyone went home in and in the next week tried his banana trick. Such a small example really shows you that even though you do something and it works there could possibly be a better solution out there than yours. He just really simplified everything and showed us how easy it really is and yet so many people ignore it. He kept saying look how low the bar is and it really is and I think we all see that now and will try to raise the bar in whatever we do. People like Kirk are amazing people and can really make a difference in others lives. Just to hear him speak was a huge motivation and you can tell that he just truly loves doing what he does. Most of us were dreading sitting there for almost 5 hours but it flew by in no time and was so interesting and inspiring. He really makes you see how easy it can be to really make a difference and effect someone in a positive way. And I agree I think everyone went home in and in the next week tried his banana trick. Such a small example really shows you that even though you do something and it works there could possibly be a better solution out there than yours. He just really simplified everything and showed us how easy it really is and yet so many people ignore it. He kept saying look how low the bar is and it really is and I think we all see that now and will try to raise the bar in whatever we do.

5. How many leaders truly inspire their followers? A special attribute that few people have Click on icon

6. Time March 9, 2007 Post: What do I want to accomplish in my lifetime? If I were to die tomorrow, would there be things that people would remember me for? These are two questions I ask myself. We had a teacher who passed away when I was in high school. He had a massive heart attack while playing basketball at the park. What people talked about the most was this: Yeah, he was only 46 when he passed away, but he had accomplished things that people in their 80's hadn't yet accomplished! So is it better to live life to the fullest and live a shorter life, or live life longer and not accomplish things. He made a difference not only in our school, but our community as well. He was different and people remembered him for this. Time is so important. The example that Steven Covey demonstrated on the movie Feinberg showed us is so true! I find that I do all the little things and then I start my big projects. This is something I must change! Not only do I need to set goals each and every day, I must prioritize my tasks. What do I want to accomplish in my lifetime? If I were to die tomorrow, would there be things that people would remember me for? These are two questions I ask myself. We had a teacher who passed away when I was in high school. He had a massive heart attack while playing basketball at the park. What people talked about the most was this: Yeah, he was only 46 when he passed away, but he had accomplished things that people in their 80's hadn't yet accomplished! So is it better to live life to the fullest and live a shorter life, or live life longer and not accomplish things. He made a difference not only in our school, but our community as well. He was different and people remembered him for this. Time is so important. The example that Steven Covey demonstrated on the movie Feinberg showed us is so true! I find that I do all the little things and then I start my big projects. This is something I must change! Not only do I need to set goals each and every day, I must prioritize my tasks.Feedback: You are not alone so many of us do the little things before attacking the big things. And the reason is because they are easier to do and most likely not as challenging. It is kind of like taking the easy way out that so many people are guilty of. My freshmen year I was horrible at this. It is a smaller example but I always did work for my classes that I excelled in instead of a class that I was struggling in a little. Of course it is easier to do this and in the end I paid for it when I had one class that I received a high A in and another I got a C in. I think prioritizing our life is something that comes with maturity and is so easy to see when you look back on certain instances. Feinberg's class has made me think so much about what I have accomplished and how I need to have goals each and every day on what I want to do with them. I think it is safe to say that nobody wants to look back at their life and have regrets especially ones that they did nothing about and had total control over. You are not alone so many of us do the little things before attacking the big things. And the reason is because they are easier to do and most likely not as challenging. It is kind of like taking the easy way out that so many people are guilty of. My freshmen year I was horrible at this. It is a smaller example but I always did work for my classes that I excelled in instead of a class that I was struggling in a little. Of course it is easier to do this and in the end I paid for it when I had one class that I received a high A in and another I got a C in. I think prioritizing our life is something that comes with maturity and is so easy to see when you look back on certain instances. Feinberg's class has made me think so much about what I have accomplished and how I need to have goals each and every day on what I want to do with them. I think it is safe to say that nobody wants to look back at their life and have regrets especially ones that they did nothing about and had total control over.

7. Time Management and Prioritizing Your Life Put the most time into the most important things Click on Oprah Click on icons

8. You Get What You Put In Thursday March 22, 2007 Post: This past week, I experienced the perfect example of optimism. The lecture we listened to on Monday couldn't have correlated any better to what I am going to talk about. So, on spring break, we went with a group of college students to Panama City Florida. Total, there were 23 of us. The trip started out fine, but took a turn for the worse. I had never taken a trip like this, so I didn't know there was going to be so many conflicts of interest. We had one person in our group who didn't like Panama, and she wouldn't ever go out! She always said "Can we go home yet", or "this is so miserable", and so on. Not to mention this started in the beginning of the week. So, we just pretty much ignored her negative comments and let her do her own thing to. One thing my parents always emphasized to me: You wake up each and every day, and the outcome is up to you. If you think your going have a bad day, most likely, you will. By Thursday night, I was so sick of the negative comments that I told Lauren this. Lauren had also brought another girl from our group down, and she was miserable as well. This simple run should be applied each and everyday, not only do I use this, but so should everyone else. We all have an influence on other people, so why not make it a good one?! Why should we be brought down, due to others negativity...... If we are optimistic and believe good things will happen they will. This past week, I experienced the perfect example of optimism. The lecture we listened to on Monday couldn't have correlated any better to what I am going to talk about. So, on spring break, we went with a group of college students to Panama City Florida. Total, there were 23 of us. The trip started out fine, but took a turn for the worse. I had never taken a trip like this, so I didn't know there was going to be so many conflicts of interest. We had one person in our group who didn't like Panama, and she wouldn't ever go out! She always said "Can we go home yet", or "this is so miserable", and so on. Not to mention this started in the beginning of the week. So, we just pretty much ignored her negative comments and let her do her own thing to. One thing my parents always emphasized to me: You wake up each and every day, and the outcome is up to you. If you think your going have a bad day, most likely, you will. By Thursday night, I was so sick of the negative comments that I told Lauren this. Lauren had also brought another girl from our group down, and she was miserable as well. This simple run should be applied each and everyday, not only do I use this, but so should everyone else. We all have an influence on other people, so why not make it a good one?! Why should we be brought down, due to others negativity...... If we are optimistic and believe good things will happen they will.Feedback: I could not agree more with optimism being important. Although it will not guarantee success it can make such a big difference in a situation and your life. In your example it is just really frustrating to see that people try to make the worst out of a situation. I mean you are already there you might as well suck it up and at least try to turn things around. It may be a small example of optimism but it can tell you something about a person if they are willing to try to bring others down with them. As we saw in class with the corporation example of a large number of people accomplishing a task compared to a few. If one person goes in a different direction than the rest of the group it can cause havoc on the group achieving their goal. I believe in surrounding yourself with people that have a positive attitude and that you would want to be viewed as. It says a lot about you that you wanted to change the situation and did not attack your friend but instead tried to help her see what being positive can do. We all have days that we wake up and are a little down and negative about certain things in our life. The key is to make the best out of them and believe that you can actually do it. I could not agree more with optimism being important. Although it will not guarantee success it can make such a big difference in a situation and your life. In your example it is just really frustrating to see that people try to make the worst out of a situation. I mean you are already there you might as well suck it up and at least try to turn things around. It may be a small example of optimism but it can tell you something about a person if they are willing to try to bring others down with them. As we saw in class with the corporation example of a large number of people accomplishing a task compared to a few. If one person goes in a different direction than the rest of the group it can cause havoc on the group achieving their goal. I believe in surrounding yourself with people that have a positive attitude and that you would want to be viewed as. It says a lot about you that you wanted to change the situation and did not attack your friend but instead tried to help her see what being positive can do. We all have days that we wake up and are a little down and negative about certain things in our life. The key is to make the best out of them and believe that you can actually do it.

9. Slackers With No Shame Some people are Ok with putting in very little and getting very little in return Click on icon

10. Only Reward Those Who Deserve It March 29, 2007 Post: It's plain and simple...only reward those who deserve it! It's really common in today's society to distinguish yourself by accomplishing great things, and yet, not get recognized! We get so caught up in our busy lives that we forget to thank those we work for us or do things that make our lives better! I think it's awesome that Dr. Feinberg makes an attempt to call Tina every week! I would love it, if my boss called me and told me how much she appreciated me. Knowing that nobody made her call me, she just wanted to, would make me feel great! In the corporate world where there tend to be more employees, it is important to only thank those who do a good job. Even though you are thankful for everyone else, just thank those we deserve rewarded! This lets employees know that people do care! Until I took this class, I never thought about this issue as much as I have been lately. Even though I'm not the store manager, I do hold a leadership position! I need to hold myself accountable to tell employees if they did a good job and why...or what they need to work on! I work tomorrow night, and I am going to implement this as one of my tasks. It's plain and simple...only reward those who deserve it! It's really common in today's society to distinguish yourself by accomplishing great things, and yet, not get recognized! We get so caught up in our busy lives that we forget to thank those we work for us or do things that make our lives better! I think it's awesome that Dr. Feinberg makes an attempt to call Tina every week! I would love it, if my boss called me and told me how much she appreciated me. Knowing that nobody made her call me, she just wanted to, would make me feel great! In the corporate world where there tend to be more employees, it is important to only thank those who do a good job. Even though you are thankful for everyone else, just thank those we deserve rewarded! This lets employees know that people do care! Until I took this class, I never thought about this issue as much as I have been lately. Even though I'm not the store manager, I do hold a leadership position! I need to hold myself accountable to tell employees if they did a good job and why...or what they need to work on! I work tomorrow night, and I am going to implement this as one of my tasks.Feedback: What makes someone feel better than being rewarded for a personal accomplishment??? There aren't many things that give us this satisfaction. It just warms your body and makes you feel good about yourself and what you have done. I agree where in the corporate world there are so many employees and it is very important to thank the ones that do a good job. Since some companies are so big a lot of people do extraordinary work and it just goes unnoticed in the end. Well if this is the case next time around that employee is not going to be very motivated to do the job nearly as well. If he is paid the same and rewarded the same either way what motivation does he have to go beyond the expectations? I think a good example of what rewards can do for a person is a professional athlete. They are some of the hardest working people in the world because they are constantly receiving huge rewards. It may be money, prizes, sponsorships, and just the satisfaction of being the best. No matter what it is they are always getting rewarded which pushes them more and more to exceed previous expectations. What makes someone feel better than being rewarded for a personal accomplishment??? There aren't many things that give us this satisfaction. It just warms your body and makes you feel good about yourself and what you have done. I agree where in the corporate world there are so many employees and it is very important to thank the ones that do a good job. Since some companies are so big a lot of people do extraordinary work and it just goes unnoticed in the end. Well if this is the case next time around that employee is not going to be very motivated to do the job nearly as well. If he is paid the same and rewarded the same either way what motivation does he have to go beyond the expectations? I think a good example of what rewards can do for a person is a professional athlete. They are some of the hardest working people in the world because they are constantly receiving huge rewards. It may be money, prizes, sponsorships, and just the satisfaction of being the best. No matter what it is they are always getting rewarded which pushes them more and more to exceed previous expectations.

11. Thank God for Roger Federer This video really shows how great Federer is and how all his accomplishments and rewards motivate him to become even better and work even harder! This video really shows how great Federer is and how all his accomplishments and rewards motivate him to become even better and work even harder! He is an amazing athlete and person that exemplifies many attributes of a great leader for his sport. He is an amazing athlete and person that exemplifies many attributes of a great leader for his sport. Click on Tennis Icon