Much like the Charles Dickens character Ebenezer Scrooge, leaders also have to deal with ghosts. The leader’s ghosts are of things present and things yet to come…and how to link the two. Don’t worry though, these ghosts are like Casper and quite friendly. As a matter of fact, for any coach to be successful, they’ve got to learn to manage the ghosts of Present and Future…but also the Transition ghost-who happens to be particularly important. Of course you know that these aren’t really ghosts, but phases that teams go through, and the effective leader will be there to guide their team through it all. A successful coach and leader will be able to manage their team’s current reality while simultaneously pushing them forward to reach some future goal. Here are the…

3 Essential Phases Every Leader Must Guide Their Team Through

Present: Appreciate Current Talent

All coaches face this dichotomy of existence…how to motivate and develop one’s current team while going out and recruiting “the next best thing”. The most important thing we can do as coaches is to make sure that our current teams feel the love and that they don’t think you’ve got one eye on the newbie who’s going to replace her the following year. The bonus of this strategy is that your team will become the world’s best recruiters for you because they’ve enjoyed their experience in your program so much.

Transition: Leading From Present To Future

Being an effective leader means that you have to see your team as two entities: who they are and who they want to be and equip them with the tools they need to get from one place to another. The ways in which the coach accomplishes this can take many forms: soothsayer to calm rattled nerves, cattle-prodder to spur action, or even spiritual guide to induce the faith necessary to dream big and then work to accomplish those dreams. The coach has to become all things to all people, because what works for one won’t work for another and worked yesterday may not work today.

Future: Accomplishing Goals

At its essence, a sports season means uncertainty. There could be injuries, unexpected losses, all sorts of unforeseen things. Therefore the motivational efforts of a coach have to have an element of faith to them. We have to sell our teams on the fact that a + b = c, and if they do “a + b” like crazy people that “c” will come to them in the future. And “c” is where uncertainty comes in, because it’s possible that your team can do “a + b” like crazy and still won’t accomplish “c”…but it’s the coach’s job to encourage the effort. Teams may not reach their goal no matter how hard they try…but they certainly won’t reach them if they don’t try at all.

I believe that teaching how to enjoy the moment while continuously pushing for some future goal is the role of every coach and leader…what do you think?

Knowing just what you should do and knowing how to do a thing is important. Knowing the details of the easiest method to actually do it is important too. Nevertheless, that’s just part of the picture; it is necessary, however it is not sufficient. It is also important to understand what you should NOT do, what mistakes to avoid. The simplest way to accomplish that is to find out what mistakes others have made to make sure that you avoid them.

For presenting and public speaking, this also is applicable. A great many succeed there, but many others make some mistakes and fail. Offered below are the three most commonly seen mistakes that people make with presentation.

Number 1. They don’t get the exact speech text. You’ll find this important because that as much as listing key points you wish to speak about may be beneficial using this method you make use of your mood during presentation for the selection of exact words. In case you are not for your best, what you decide on may not be the most effective ones. For avoiding this concern you should get the exact full speech text.

2nd, They do not rehearse their speech. Getting this right is important since so as to deliver the best speech possible you should own it, understand it by heart so well that you could start delivering it irrespective of where you’re and what time during the day it can be. What you ought to do to avoid this mistake is to rehearse your speech, ideally as you’re watching mirror. Another good idea is to record yourself rehearsing and listen returning to the recording to discover more small errors and miused words which you wouldn’t normally notice yourself..

To finish, They don’t organize themselves for the inevitable. This can be a common problem when you walk on stage not being ready for small errors or unpredictable situations to happen. This can be avoided by to acknowledge that something will certainly happen. Your slides is certain to get stuck, a lights should go down or something like that similar can happen. Naturally it not necessarily might but when you are prepared because of it anyway, you will end up prepared to react properly to them.

Analyze these presentation mistakes and very carefully avoid them. Instead, keep to the suggestions preceding for doing it correctly. Much better results will then be your reward!

The dog’s eyes are his most attractive feature. They are the “tie that binds” him to mankind. The expression of the normal dog is bright, intelligent, knowing. A dog’s healthy eyes are clear, clean, lustrous; naturally and adequately moistened by tears. The moment the eyes appear at all different, there is the possibility that something is wrong, or an infection present.

A discharge from the eyes indicates an inflammation of the conjunctiva, the membrane lining the eyelids and, in modified form, covering the visible part of the eye.

Conjunctivitis

From personal experience, we all know that conjunctivitis leads to ‘watering’ of the eyes. Also, it often causes the eyelids or their edges to be reddened and swollen. Sometimes, it leads to a sticky and thicker discharge, and the eyes become tender and swollen, and you find the dog reluctant to keep the eyes open in a bright light.

A lot of factors cause conjunctivitis, some of which are local infections with viruses, mycoplasmas, bacteria, fungi; exposure to draughts (like when the dog looks out of the window of a moving car); exposure to dust, lime or smoke. In some dogs, a hyper-sensitivity to inhaled pollen or to other particles of foreign protein gives rise to atopic disease (hay fever) with conjunctivitis. The latter can also be a symptom of some generalized illness such as canine distemper, and of canine herpes virus infection.

Severe inflammation and ‘watering’ of one eye may also occur if there is a blocked tear duct, or a grass seed or piece of grit present. As a result of pain and irritation, the dog may paw the face or rub it along the ground.

You can flush out this piece of grit by using a piece of cotton wool soaked in warm saline and held close to the eye so that a few drops fall on to its surface. You can also use an eye-dropper intended for human use, but be careful so as not to allow the end of the dropper come into violent contact with the eye if the dog jerks his head. If the grit has been moved by the liquid and becomes visible, it can often been removed by a piece of moistened cotton wool.

More difficult to remove is a grass seed or awn. Usually, a local anesthetic is indicated and then removal by a veterinary surgeon. But as a first-aid measure, you can apply a drop of castor or olive oil to reduce friction and discomfort.

Keratitis

This is an inflammation of the cornea (which could be referred to as window of the eye, which admits light through the pupil of the retina). Keratitis often follows conjunctivitis, especially if there is a severe infection present. Keratitis may also occur as a result of injury to the dog’s eyes caused by a whip lash or a cat’s claw; or to a thorn, a small piece of glass, or some irritant chemical. It may also be sequel to canine viral hepatitis.

Symptoms of keratitis include the profuse watering seen with conjunctivitis and a tendency to keep the eye closed, but then there follows an opacity which at first may be only pin-head in size. This pin-head size opacity may be a clue to the presence of a thorn embedded in the eye. It must be removed by a veterinary surgeon under anesthesia.

Pannus

This is a complication of keratitis, and the term implies the appearance of very small blood vessel which grows out from the margins of the cornea, stopping at the edges of an ulcer – if one is present.

Ulceration

It is another sequel to keratitis and is always potentially dangerous, since penetration may occur, leading sometimes to a hernia of the iris, sometimes to infection of the anterior chamber and permanent blindness.

Trichiasis and Entropion

These refer to the turning in of the eyelashes and eyelids respectively, and they are sometimes the result of a chronic inflammation, but they are far more often inherited defects which appear during puppyhood. The eyelashes irritate the cornea and, if not treated, keratitis with opacity will follow. A minor surgical operation is needed to correct the defect and prevents further trouble.

Ectropion

This means the turning outward of the eyelids – a condition virtually normal in Bloodhounds and St. Bernards, but which usually needs correcting in order breeds by means of a minor operation.

Blue Eye

This is another quite usual condition of the dog’s eye, and may set in with distemper, a lack of riboflavin, continual weeping or injury. The cornea changes from its original color to an opaque blue. This causes the dog to be temporarily blind in the affected eye, and unable to see. After several days, the blue gradually fades from the edges inward until only a tiny spot remains. Several months may pass before this scar disappears; possibly it will never disappear. Modern ointments are excellent in preventing infection of the cornea, but it is advisable to see your veterinary surgeon before the sight is permanently damaged.

Cataract

Cataract is a cloudy appearance of the lens and it may also form in the elderly or diabetic dog, impairing vision. Cataracts are often bilateral. An inherited predisposition to cataract is said to exist within some breed. There is no effective treatment for cataract other than surgical removal of the lens.

Other conditions of the dog’s eyes may include:

Dislocation of the Lens

This is seen mainly in wire-haired Fox Terriers, Sealyhams, or terriers with similar ancestry, and this condition is often hereditary.

The eyeball becomes swollen and bulgy; but first the pupil is larger than normal, and the white of the eye shows some redness. If observed carefully, the lens may be seen to wobble, if it is still attached to some of its supporting fibers and not yet completely dislocated. A veterinary surgeon who specializes in ophthalmic work can carry out an operation for the removal of the dislocated lens.

Glaucoma

This is the swelling of the eyeball due to intra-ocular pressure. It may follow the lens dislocation mentioned above, and also atrophy of the retina.

Progressive Retinal Atrophy (P.R.A.)

The P.R.A. is an inherited condition which develops in certain breeds, in which the dog suffers from ‘night blindness’, being unable to see properly in conditions of poor light. The pupil dilates widely, even in daylight, and the dog appears to stare. The useful advice is not to breed from a dog or bitch with P.R.A.

Detachment of the Retina

This condition also has a hereditary basis. It is one feature of the so-called ‘collie eye anomaly’. Bleeding within the eyeball and/or detachment of the retina may occur. If the latter is extensive, the dog is likely to be partially or totally blind.

Filarial Worms

This may infest the interior of the eye, and they can rarely be seen moving in the anterior chamber. There have been cases of filarial worms been removed surgically.

Blindness

Blindness in dogs could be either a symptom or a sequel to other conditions. A tumor or brain disease of some kind may cause blindness; while some poisons, such as metaldehyde, carbon monoxide, and quinine (to which the dog is very susceptible) cause temporary blindness. In old age, vision is apt to become impaired, and a few old dogs do go blind.

There are many abnormal eye conditions, some due to hereditary factor; some diet (like lack of Vitamin A); some to infections such as distemper (involving the retina and optic nerve), toxoplasmosis, tuberculosis, and various fungal infections.

Recognizing an employee, student or athlete is not complicated, but there are some basic principles that should be followed to achieve the maximum impact. There is no doubt that people like money – raises, bonuses and the like, but the most memorable recognition has always been a tangible award or trophy. Most people remember awards and trophies that were given years after the fact, and many save them for decades. Ask a fifty-year old man about his first award, perhaps a small plaque or an award medal given for his participation in a little league baseball game – not only will he likely remember it, but he quite possibly still has it on a shelf or in a box, tucked away in a safe place for later viewing. These mementos serve to bring back memories and provide conversation pieces for a lifetime.

While there is no “rule book” for how do present an award, there are some proven techniques that should be considered:

Whenever possible, present an award in front of the recipients peers. In the case of an employee, this could be done with a simple department meeting or a more formal recognition event. In the case of a volunteer, it might take place during a scheduled meeting or event. With a student, it could be in the classroom or in the auditorium. The point is, putting the recipient in the spotlight makes it more memorable.

Secondly, whoever presents the award should not only hand it to the recipient with a “congratulations”, but also should tell a story to drive home the accomplishment, however small or large. A story told by a coach about the most-improved player or best fielder goes a long way towards making the receiver of the trophy feel even better about themselves.

Thirdly, do not forget to add a date to the award. While it may seem meaningless at the time of the presentation, it helps serve as another reminder of related events down the road.

Lastly, taking a picture of the person receiving the award not only adds a special touch, it provides an opportunity to share the accomplishment with others, through a newsletter, newspaper or email. It also allows the recipient to relive the moment at a future date.