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Lalita Amos
Female
Indianapolis, IN
United States - Share
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Lalita Amos's Groups
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Purple Cows
59 members
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Informing Indiana on Gas & Oil
12 members
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Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce
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Bilerico-Indiana's LGBT community group
13 members
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Hoosier Twitosphere
173 members
Lalita Amos's discussions
Looking for a Paralegal
Replied Oct 14
Like Nobody's Business
OK, now this was a little bit of a brain burner even for me (and we all know how much I like my noggin scorched). I asked the Hubs out of a cheap Sunday night date--books, computers, Kindle and coffee. So, I'm a cheap date. I already knew that.
Anyway, the Starbucks was the now usual dichotomy--great service in a dirty store (with the nastiest stains on the upholstery). While there, I noticed that the 10 by 10 foot area rug in the center of the seating area wasn't very securely tacked down along one edge. I noticed it--not because I was trying to strike up a conversation with it. I tripped over it. Every single time I walked to the counter or the restroom (I did say I was drinking java, didn't I?). I felt like less of a busted ballerina when I saw a cop trip over it on his way out the door.
Um, oops!
So, before I left, I thought I'd bring it to the attention of the shop keepers. Here's how that conversation went:
Me: Excuse me. I wanted to let you know that the carpet isn't secure on that one side (pointing) and that I and one of the cops had tripped over it.
He: Yeah, I know.
Me: I saw that you'd used some other kind of tape on it. A little double sided carpet tape would take care of it.
He: You saw we'd tried to fix it already (smiling tiredly--end of shift). We were going to get some electrical tape (!) but the store'd already closed.
Me: Electrical tape?
He: We can only buy from certain stores. Our DM said if the electrical tape doesn't work, for us to get what we needed from another place.
Me: Um, OK. Night.
Now, can you guess where my tiny mind went? A 2" by 36' roll of carpet tape costs about 10 bucks (I checked). Three trips to and from the store looking for electrical and every other kind of tape costs more than that in gas alone (let alone time away from the store on the clock). In addition, the store runs the risk of lawsuit if someone tripped, carrying a steaming cup of joe or a big cuppa tea, and splashed themselves (yipes!), someone else (crap!) or a little someone else--like one of the many Christmas-togged tykes getting hot chocolate with grandma (gonna roast in hell).
By looking to fulfill the letter of the store's purchasing agreement, it failed to meet another important standard: the standard of care with respect of customer and employee safety.
I find this kind of siloed thinking quite a bit in my practice with executives drilling the rules into the heads of their direct reports such that they miss opportunities for innovation, avenues to clear roadblocks and in this instance, chances to remedy safety concerns before an injury occurs.
It's the bane of the business world--the inability to get ahead of problems or opportunties before they run their predictable and almost certain course then reacting to events to mitigate the damage.
The Faith Friendly Workplace
I used to work for the world's largest producer of Bibles. Curiously, they're the same company that produced that Madonna Sex book book a few years back. There was a pervasive atmosphere of religiosity. But what there wasn't was tolerance (got to find a better word than this) for other faiths or faith traditions. Like the sometimes maligned Chick Fil-A which routinely probes applicants on their family status and religious beliefs and practices but has come under fire for limiting opportunities for those in the "wrong faiths" (like Catholicism or Judaism), companies which provide space for religious expression (as opposed to religious accommodation like foot washes for Muslim adherents) are being watched for signs that they have an express preference for some expression over another.This article from Workforce has some great tips for a faith friendly workplace like this from GM "If you want your faith group to be in Ford’s Interfaith Alliance, you’ve got to support the ability of other groups to meet." Read on.
'If You Didn't Want My Newsletter, Why'd You Give Me Your Biz Card?"
BEGIN RANTIn the old economy (pre-AOL/Compuserve/Netscape of the early 1990's), it wasn't inconceivable to get a paper and ink newsletter when someone got your business card. Back then in the pre-Can SPAM Act days, all one had to get was an address (which they could find in the phone book) and they were off to the races. Now, Can SPAM Act or no, people assume that if you give up that email address, you're asking--begging--to be added to their email list. Better yet, the really industrious ones think that selling their email mailing lists is what Martha Stewart would call "a good thing."
It isn't. If I get one of these, I get 10 and they don't just magically disappear by force of will.
I've maintained that networking (more aptly discussed as "prospecting with people who are uninterested in buying") as we've come to know it is such a bad idea. I routinely remove myself from those mailing lists...and toss the card of the offending biz person.
Better would be to ask how the person who gave out the card wants to be interacted with and then writing that on the back of the card. The chances of deepeming a relationshipo through relationship-appropriate communication is enhanced.
'If You Didn't Want My Newsletter, Why'd You Give Me Your Biz Card?"
Glad you asked. I thought you could keep it on file in case you met someone who could benefit from my services (or your associates, mine), that we could consider getting together to learn more about each others' businesses, that we might get together for tea to strategize ways in which we could both win (like a joint venture or other collaborative opportunity), that you might be interested in the free items on my website, that you might want to listen to my podcast and possibly appear on one, that you might use the biz card as a book mark...
Being added to your SPAM list was the last thing on my mind.
END RANT
(See? That wasn't too bad, was it?)
My Kindle Mentor--Found!
Now, before any of you smart alecs go off mumbling that I've got a Kindle habit, let me be the first to say it: Hi. My name's Lalita and I'm a Kind-a-holic. Garland's found me slumped on the couch in front of the fireplace, glasses askew, clutching my reader like a just-returned foundling.
It's a cautionary tale.
Though, I will say that I've met some very interesting people hereabouts. Kindle owners, all. Today, it was Patrick, the man who started my Kindle crush. Like any self-respecting crack dealer, he let me have a free taste. He handed his Kindle over to me--a stranger--at SBX and let me play with it for the better part of an hour while he checked his email. Seeing him today, we was beaming when he saw me walking back to my table with my Kindle, which I've named (in the Amazon system), Gizmo (food and water--bad!).
He was with two friends, non-believers, to be sure, and leaned into me to tell me about all of the Kindle loot he'd gotten and still coveted. When he got to the subject of Kindle covers (he's got 3 or 4), he remarked to me, a fellow conspirator, that he "could see how women can get that way about purses.
And the bridges of understanding get stronger.
Friends have asked me to post a little about what I'm reading on my Kindle. Here's the short list:
Books
- Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution--and How It Can Renew America ~ Thomas Friedman
- Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make Competition Irrelevant ~ W. Chan Kim
- Talent Is Overrated: What Really Separates World-Class Performers from Everybody Else ~ Geoff Colvin
- The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream (Vintage) ~ Barack Obama
- Why We Suck: A Feel Good Guide to Staying Fat, Loud, Lazy and Stupid ~ Dr. Denis Leary
Newspapers:
Blogs:
...and there was peace on Earth.
Monday Morning Melodies
I'm hanging at SBX, getting some writing done while I wait for the afternoon meetings to commence. It's a glorious day--misty and fit for fireplaces, chili and pots of tea (can you tell I'm feeling a little peckish). Keeping me company--my trusty Sirius radio. Listening to Alex Bennett (Sirius Left) and an otherworldly discussion on the merits of Michelle Obama's badonka donk, they redeemed themselves by playing some acoustic Amy Winehouse.In spite of--or sadly, because of--her much-storied personal struggles, she still ranks up there as one of the singular talents of her day. My fear is that, like Billy Holiday, she'll be gone too soon. Still, when I listen to her sing, I think about my mother, who, though still at the beginnings of her life as a woman, loved Billy's ageless voice. Here's a sample:
Beneath their personal dramas that played/are playing out in the tabloids, these women suggest a vital link to my business life: Each in her own way, they crafted their own, singular sound...and sang it. Looking forward to next year and the current climate of fear and scarcity that abounds, I'm struck by the opportunity to, like them, further explore my singular sound--really find it--and sing it to those people whose ears are attuned to listen.
The work of working and living "Like Nobody's Business" isn't as easy as it might seem.
Lalita Amos MHRM RCC
Latest Activity
Profile Information
- How did you hear about Smaller Indiana?
- Friend
- What is your greatest strength?
- I see pathways others can't and then help them see a new opening for action that was once lost on them.
Oh, and I laugh. In the biz world, that may not sound like a strength, but it sure comes in handy. Rather than being so serious and significant, I start with the belief that our work can bring us both cash and comedy.
- What are you working on?
- I'm creating a book on habits and executive leadership -- why we keep doing the same things over and over...and how to stop, shift and create new results. Oh, and having finished my Masters (you can call me Mistress Amos), I'm jockeying for position in a Doctoral program.
Sleep is just practice for being dead.
- How big is your business?
- small company
- What is your Job Title
- Executive
- What is your Company Website?
- http://www.totalteamsolutions.com
- What is your Personal Website?
- http://valuesalliance.org
- What is your alma mater?
- Purdue University
- Why join Smaller Indiana? What are you hoping to experience here ?
- I'm looking for "my peeps" in the biz world -- intensely curious, generous, collaborative fast thinkers who are looking to think outside the box...and then burn that rascal.
Selling to or being sold by said peeps? I think, sometimes, that making the sale is the "booby prize." The real brass ring is in the relationships, the expanded community.
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Be sure to use my full name and email address (LLAmos at TotalTeamSolutions dot com) when sending me an invitation to connect.
Lalita Amos's Videos
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Added by Lalita Amos
Lalita Amos's Blog
The Economy: A MadLib
Our economy is ___________________ (enter your selection here)
- fine.
- a nightmarish disgrace.
- freakishly good.
- magically delicious.
People aren't poorer, they just ___________________ (enter your selection here)
- like eating mac and cheese from the box.
- were going to downsize their house to a small walk-up apartment anyway.
- are giving people--giving blood, that is.
- enjoy watching channels 4, 6, 8 …
Posted on October 13, 2008 at 11:20pm — 1 Comment
Willing Slaves, Pretending to "Have It All"
Posted on September 17, 2008 at 7:30am — 7 Comments
Is the Brain "Plastic" and What Does that Have to Do with Business?
Posted on August 5, 2008 at 4:30pm — 1 Comment
Change or Die!
Posted on August 5, 2008 at 11:14am —
CNN's "Black in America." Watch Then Meet to Discuss
This week, CNN launched its Black in America series--a four-hour program that focused on women, families, men, work, religion, crime, health and life. It tried to offer a balanced perspective on being of Black African descent. I've watched it and they did a pretty good job and I believe it is certainly worth watching. Moreso, I think it is a topic worth discussing--not t…
ContinuePosted on July 26, 2008 at 8:32pm — 5 Comments
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Social Media Etiquette 1 Reply
I just found this blog entry on social media etiquette. It's got some pretty good tips and I thought I'd share it. After reading, if you have any additional pointers, feel free to include them! 1....
Tagged: tips, etiquette, media, social
Started by Nicki Laycoax in Education. Last reply by David Mark 6 hours ago.
Rockstar Social Networking Designer-Programmer Wanted! 2 Replies
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Inside Sales - Lead Generator for Biotech Firm
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Seeking a WebMaster for immediate opportunity
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Systems Administrator Needed!
John Krull 317-872-4960 jkrull@pyramidsgroup.com Are you seeking a position within an organization that will provide you with the sense of accomplishment? Are you looking for a company that has a ...
Tagged: technical, IT, career, job
Started by John Krull in Classifieds - Help Wanted 15 hours ago.
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Started by Pat Coyle in Media. Last reply by Griff 52 minutes ago.
Know any fabulous women? It's time for the fifth annual Torchbearer Awards: Indiana's Salute to Women
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Live Music for your Christmas Party
How about having a live piano/keyboard player playing Christmas Carols during your Business or Home Christmas Party? I play all types of songs - Secular and Sacred. I have my own keyboard and speak...
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Started by Jack Kirkland in Classifieds - blatant self promotion 1 day ago.
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An acquaintance of mine suggested I look into becoming a virtual assistant. He felt that with the skill and experience I have, I could definitely excel at doing something like this. I wanted to po...
Started by Lorin Lambert in Questions and Answers. Last reply by Kyle Lacy 18 hours ago.
Indiana Filmmakers activity
I'm new to the group and would like to become an active member. Where do I go to get information on meetings, activities, organization, etc.
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Tagged: planning, community, building, city, scores
Started by A Brewster Smythe in Events for the creative class 1 day ago.
For the sake of NOSTALGIA! 1 Reply
Here's a little quiz to see how much you remember about some less-than-important things from a few decades back. It's just for fun. Even the wrong answers may bring back a memory or two. Have Fun (...
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Graduate Student seeking Multimedia Position in Indianapolis
Hello all, My name is Matt Wohlstadter and I am a very passionate digital artist. I currently reside here in Indianapolis and I am looking for a full time job as a digital artist/multimedia develo...
Started by Matt Wohlstadter in Classifieds - New Graduates Seeking First Jobs (2008) Nov 29.
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Tagged: Amtgard
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Started by Christopher Allen in Events for the creative class. Last reply by Christopher Allen Nov 29.
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Started by Pat Coyle in Questions and Answers. Last reply by Amy Magan 18 hours ago.
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"I'm looking for "my peeps" in the biz world -- intensely curious, generous, collaborative fast thinkers who are looking to think outside the box...and then burn that rascal.
I wholeheartedly agree! Have a good one ; )
What a nice name you have.
Thank you for your welcome remark. I am excited to meet peole like yourself.
Enjoy your day.
Hikmet
Thank you for planning the Smaller Indiana Coffee Break in conjunction with Erik Deckers. I enjoyed meeting everyone and especially listening to the valuable insight and information you provided regarding my business venture!
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