Who Are You REALLY?

[Craig Althof]

Good morning from Iowa USA!

I'm spending 12 hours in the lab today, and have just a little discretionary time now and then. I wanted to take a few minutes to network on a deeper basis. It's good to really get to know those with whom you correspond and exchange ideas. Our backgrounds shape our perspectives, ideas and opinions.

So…Who Are You REALLY? Take a couple of minutes. I’d like to meet you.

It's a great feeling to be working "green". I am at a wind turbine blade manufacturer that is in start-up mode. Ground broke on the new facility a year ago, and we still have a good deal to learn. It is a smaller company (500 employees) so people many times wears different hats. I am in the quality lab three days a week now, but my other focus is on developing a healthy culture of continuous improvement, teaming and of course full engagement. There is never a dull moment, and never a regular 40-hour week!

This has been a sleepless weekend-I play music for fun, and we have played both Friday and Saturday nights this week. I had to be at work at 5am both following mornings, so am drinking a LOT of strong coffee. I know it's not healthy but decaffeinated coffee makes about as much sense as non-alcohol beer or the Three Stooges without Curly...why bother?

Most engaging things to do besides work and music--time with my three grand daughters and soaking up sun while fishing at my favorite farm pond.

The one thing I wish I had more time for is working with young people to try to engage them more in their education and get them to think about their future. I love the class room, and have taught both high school and college classes. In my opinion, young people are NOT leaving school prepared to make it in the real world, from a skills perspective or socially / attitudinally. Engagement in education is one of the categories at my blog that I have not had as much time to devote to as I'd like. Maybe when I "retire"?

So…Who Are You REALLY?

Craig
In Pursuit of Excellence

[Frode Heimen]

Hi Craig! Great initiative!
Hello fellow members of the EEN. I will try to state who I am in a few sentences. I am currently still 35 years old. I work as a department manager at the call center to one of Norway’s largest telecom companies. I have been working there for 3.5 years. I am very focused on personal development and like my employees to be engaged in more than just work. In private I like to blog, watch soccer, favorite team is Wolvers, just got promoted to the premier league. I like fishing and reading about leadership, motivation and coaching. I am in my ace when I can motivate other people. I am married, been married for 6 years, have two boys. We live in Kristiansand, in the southern part of Norway.
I hope to use this network to meet other leaders with passion for leading. I would also like to meet other call center managers for sharing experience. Maybe I even find great inspiration to continue blogging.
I am left-handed, color blind, creative and hard working.

Frode Heimen
Never Mind the Manager

[Doug Shaw]

Woohoo - good idea!

This week I am really not sure exactly who I am. Why? Well on Tuesday I left my employer of 12.5 years to start a business of my own. I've always been employed prior to now. Last week I had 149,999 colleagues, now I have one. He he. I love to learn and this week my brain is on super wind turbine power. I'm excited and I need the weekend to just calm down a bit.

What am I sure about? I have a lovely wife and daughter. I'm growing peas, beans, tomatoes n spuds in the back garden. Like Craig I love to play and sing. Tonight I will be cycling 50 odd miles to the English coastal town of Brighton. We set off at 1am and get there to watch sun up. I try hard to do what I say I will and I make things happen.

[Craig Althof]

Frode, Doug--greetings friends, from your landlocked colleague across the pond. I do hope more folks join in with a little personal disclosure.

Doug, it would take me a Harely to make that 50 miles in time for sunrise. I am impressed that you use Doug Power. Frode-your new picture seems to be much more appropriate for the real Frode. I share your four attributes except for the left-handed one. But my father is left-handed. I coached club soccer for several years, quit around six years ago and my knees have hurt ever since. The learning: stay active!

We three mousketeers share a passion for learning...if we don't learning we wither up and get old before our time!

I love thinking on the horizon and usually have to be reminded to "get real" by my peers. I need engineers and accountants to balance me out.

Frode noted me a while back that there are several groups who are against wind energy as the turbines ruin the view. Go to China or LA...try smog as the alternative.

Doug noted he and I share a love of playing music. It's a huge creative outlet that I will continue as long as my fingers and the public will let me. There is so much power in music...for healing, learning, creating, getting lucky (kidding on that last one!). Baroque is evidently the most powerful genre, and I really enjoy a few of the baroque composers. I wonder how many others here have studied music and learning?

One thing I haven't done for too long that really helps me sort things out...wait for a clear, full moon winter night with a new snow blanket, take a few provisions, hike back in the woods (solo if you know your way around and aren't too clumsy), make a campfire and brew some cowboy coffee to get through the night. Melting snow for the coffee is best. The fire's embers hold the answer to a great many of life's deeper mysteries. Or maybe that was all that caffeine and the onset of hypothermia?

When did that kind of adventure get replaced by iced tea on the patio around the barbie?!

Come on folks...who are you really?