Creative Mind Consulting

Two Exciting Presentations Upcoming....

Just finished preparing presentations for two upcoming conferences -

"Lessons from History: Ethical Leadership" for the

American Institute of Architects 2009 Minnesota Convention

and

"Using Incredibly Useful Free Web Tools to Maximize Your Training Mission" for the

the American Society for Training and Development 2009 Regional Conference

Really looking forward to both. Here's the text of the workshop bulletin for the architect's conference:

Just as ancient structures or historical buildings inspire current design trends and architectural constructions, historical characters have much to tell us about modern leadership and ethical behavior under difficult circumstances. By looking at several key Revolutionary War leaders and the challenges they faced, we take away insights that inform our relationships with colleagues, building partners and clients. This program will emphasize four key concepts underlying ethical leadership development: casting a vision, character formation, overcoming adversity, and continuous learning.

The intersection of leadership, history, technology, social media and democracy is a fascinating, and I hope to do more exploring in this area.

"Brainstorming for Business" ideas...Non-profit Grant Wrangler

If you work for a non-profit organization, no doubt you've contemplated writing grants to secure state or federal monies to advance your mission. And - there are many professional grant writers out there who can help.

They know how to locate grant opportunities, wade through the piles of regulations, and write a compelling narrative.

BUT - deciding to write a grant is only the start of the process. At the federal level, there are 26 different agencies who offer over 1,000 different grants...and each one has certain requirements that need to be fulfilled.

The non-profit needs to register with the appropriate federal agencies, coordinate grant status with congressional staffers, advise the staff on potential policy impacts of grant acceptance, file financial and progress reports, and complete grant closure paperwork.

Some non-profits are lucky enough to have staff members who take on the demanding role of grant administrator...others hire grant writers to help with the process.

However, many organizations could benefit from the services of a:

• Freelance Grant Wrangler

If you are a technical writer, non-profit staff member looking for consulting work, or just a person with a great eye for detail...."grant wangling" could be for you!

A "grant wrangler" not only writes the grant application, but advises non-profits on all aspects of grant "strategery", files the appropriate applications, ensures all the required paperwork is completed, talks with congressional staffers and provides expert advice on all aspects of the grant process.

Look for non-profit organizations who need help landing government grants - and are willing to pay for your help. If a non-profit needs $5,000 - they need to find a new donor! If they need $150,000 - now, it makes sense to potentially pursue a government grant.

Director of Interactive Communications

I'm honored to have been asked to join our local chapter of the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD-TCC) in the newly created position of Director of Interactive Communications. This is a great opportunity to give back to an association that has done so much to help me personally and professionally.

I originally joined way back in 1990 when I lived in San Antonio and was just getting into the training biz as a Total Quality Management (TQM) consultant for the Air Force. I'm still friends with one of the people I met in that chapter and she's one of the most outgoing and dynamic presenters that I know.

The people in the Minneapolis-St. Paul chapter are equally professional. While I haven't been a member the last couple of years, it's great to see that much of the hard work undertaken by past presidents and board of directors continues today. This is a productive, polished team and I'm really looking forward to working with everyone.