Avid Learner, Inc.

11/09/2018

As we approach Veteran’s Day, I am filled with gratitude for those who serve and protect our country, and am reminded of the challenges they face as they return. What impression do you have when someone you meet—at a networking event or on a job interview, for example—says “I’m a veteran?” This video invites us to question our assumptions about veterans, and recognize that each person has his or her own unique strengths, skills, experiences, values, personality, etc. I invite you to take a closer look. I’m so glad to see a handful of veterans I know personally sharing a little bit about who they are in this video.

This is "VeteransProj2018 V8" by Garrison Hughes on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

10/30/2018

This is Wasi Mohamed, the Executive Director of the Islamic Center here in Pittsburgh. He is one in a cohort of about 50 amazing, young and emerging leaders that I am so honored and humbled to support as part of the work I'm doing with Leadership Pittsburgh. This is what leadership looks like to me. This is the kind of authentic leadership that raises the bar, inspires me and makes me believe, even in the most difficult times, that we can co-create a better future for ourselves.

10/22/2018

Today’s open-office environments, combined with the tools and technologies we use to help us connect and collaborate can also make it super easy to become distracted. I was interviewing one of our star performers last week on strategies to enhance personal productivity, and she mentioned this wearable blinker being developed by Panasonic. It essentially lets you create your own personal space and is supposed to help you focus your attention. I doubt I’d ever wear one, but I have a few friends who might get this as a gift from me. Could you imagine yourself wearing one?

Panasonic's Future Life Factory is developing wearable blinkers, designed to limit your sense of sound and sight, and help you focus on what's directly in front of you.

09/20/2018

Congratulations Aradhna! This is a well-deserved honor!

Please join the LPI Board of Directors and team in congratulating our President and CEO, Aradhna Malhotra Oliphant on receiving the prestigious Moe Coleman Award for Excellence in Community Service which honors our community’s greatest civic servants and recognizes those who have followed in his path. Fellow 2018 award recipients are Laura Ellsworth of Jones Day and Saleem Ghubril of The Pittsburgh Promise.

Click here read more about the Coleman Award https://iop.pitt.edu/elected-officials-retreat/coleman-award/2018-coleman-award-winners.

09/14/2018

You’d never guess from looking at them. But every so often, even the most accomplished presenters feel jittery or apprehensive just before making a presentation. The feelings are natural and very common. In my training and coaching work, I see this frequently—and sometimes experience it myself!

There are a number of strategies that can help you relax and feel more confident before and during your next presentation. From a practical point of view, the goal is not to eliminate the feelings of anxiety, but to reduce their intensity so they don’t distract your audience or keep you from performing effectively. Avoiding the experience altogether is NOT an effective strategy.

Some students say having to speak in front of the class is an unreasonable burden for those with anxiety and are demanding alternative options.

10/09/2017

is getting started this morning learning about the Star Performer model with David Huffner from Avid Learner Inc.

10/27/2015

There are two important cohorts coming up in 2016, both of which we strongly endorse. Do you know anyone who might be interested in participating?

The first is called EDGE Women. It’s the first women’s mentoring experience of its kind targeting mid-career professionals. And it’s being led by a friend and colleague, Christy Uffelman, of Align Leadership. The EDGE Mentoring Experience provides participants with the opportunity to network and learn from a diverse group of mid-career women leaders who represent a cadre of organizations and industries. The kickoff session is November 18th, and the cohort begins meeting monthly in 2016. If you know a woman in the Pittsburgh area who is “mid-career,” (age-wise, somewhere in the early 30’s to mid-fifties range), they can get more information here: http://alignleadership.com/edge/

The second cohort is the Community Leadership Course for Veterans (CLCV), which aims at leveraging the skills and experience of post 9/11 veterans for the betterment of the broader Pittsburgh region, our opportunities and organizations.

Through participation in the six month long course, CLCV class members have the opportunity to develop a greater understanding of our region, meet with business and community leaders, as well as utilize their leadership skills to accomplish a community impact project in partnership with a local non-profit organization. It meets from April to September. Get more information here:
http://www.lpinc.org/programs/community-leadership-course-for-veterans/

EDGE Cohort Experience (Powered by PEER Technology®) Experience the power of connectedness. Do you want to share best practices with leaders across industries? Do you want to create a vehicle for knowledge transfer inside your organization? Align PEER Technology® offers unconventional…

10/14/2015

Chris Sacca is going to be a Guest Shark on Shark Tank this season. I often refer to Shark Tank when I’m training technical folks on how to present p

09/30/2015

Organizations pay a very high price for employee silence and disengagement. This article includes some discussion of the LEAD program recently delive