Past Events (Book Signings, Speaking, Training, Coaching, and Radio Programs)- Prior to 2014

February 25, 2015 / tomdowd / Events, News

12/23/13 Taped “Your Kind Voice with Transformation Tom”- guest Debby Adair

12/19/13 Taped “Your Kind Voice with Transformation Tom”- guest Mitch Farrar

12/17/13 Individual Coaching Session Camden, ME

12/9/13 Effective Business Communications West Falmouth, ME

12/7/13 HR Power Hour with David Ciullo

“A Job Search Success Story” Radio Interview

12/4/13 Individual Coaching Session- LinkedIn

12/1/13 Individual Coaching Session Camden, ME

11/22/13 District 8 Toastmasters Fall Conference St. Louis

Transformation Time with Transformation Tom

11/20/13 Effective Business Communications (early session)

11/20/13 Effective Business Communications (late session)

11/18/13 Individual Coaching Session- Interviewing Skills

11/17/13 Individual Coaching Session- Résumé Writing

11/16/13 District 36 Toastmasters Conference Silver Spring, MD

“Impromp-To Success”

11/9/13 District 44 Toastmasters Conference Atlanta, GA

“Impromp-To Success”

11/8/13 District 44 Toastmasters Conference Atlanta, GA

“The Transformational Journey: A Story of Self-Awareness, Belief, and Action”

11/2/13 District 45 Toastmasters Conference

“Impromp-To Success” St. John, NB Canada

10/22/13 Belfast Free Public Library Belfast, Maine

Book Signing, Transformation Time presentation

10/19/13 Maine Authors Publishing Bi-Annual Authors Conference

Rockland, Maine

From Fear to Success: Presentation Skills for Authors

10/15/13 Radio Interview

A Kind Voice on Employment, Opportunity and Innovation Internet Radio Program

10/1/13 Bangor Public Library Bangor, Maine

Book Signing, Transformation Time presentation

9/21/13 Individual Coaching- Resume-writing

9/8/13 Individual Coaching- Interviewing

9/7/13 Metavivor Fundraiser- Author Meet and Greet Annapolis, MD

Book Signing, Transformation Time presentation

9/5/13 Edgewater Public Library Edgewater, MD

Book Signing, Transformation Time presentation

8/29/13 Waldo Technical School Administration Northport, Maine

Make Your Story Come Alive- Résumé Writing

8/16/13 Portland Rotary

Holiday Inn by the Bay, Portland ME

Book Signing, Transformation Time presentation

8/7/13 New England Mobile Book Fair

Book Signing, “Transformation Presentation”

8/7/13 J. V. Fletcher Library

Book Signing, “It’s Not Bragging If It’s a Fact: Improving Interviewing Skills”

8/6/13 Virtual Meeting / Teleconference

LEAD for Woman- Bank of America

Command and Influence — Better Business Communications

8/1/13 Lewiston Career Center

Transformation Time / D-Day: When My Job was Looking for a Job

7/30/13 Individual Coaching- Time Management

7/28/13 Portland Jetport Portland, ME

Book Signing

7/27/13 Belfast Book Fair Belfast, ME

Book Signing

7/25/13 Individual Coaching- Resume Writing

7/24/13 HR Power Hour with Dave Ciullo WLOB 1310 Radio

Radio Interview (to be aired Saturday July 25 10:ooam-11:00am)

7/18/13 Individual Coaching- Understanding Corporate Culture

7/17/13 Tewksbury Library, Massachusetts- 100 Authors Program

Job Seekers Networking Group- Interviewing / Book Signing

7/13/13 New England Mobile Book Fair

82 Needham Street Newton Highlands, MA

Book Signing

7/12/13 Portland (Maine) Jetport

Book Signing

7/8/12 Individual Coaching session- resume Dover-Foxtrot, Maine

6/20/13 MPBN Panel Discussion Portland, Maine

Jobs in Maine

6/18/13 Virtual Meeting / Teleconference

LEAD for Woman

Let Your Connections Work for You – How to Build a Professional Network

6/6/13 Winslow High School Winslow, Maine

Jobs for Maine Grads (JMG) Keynote Address

6/5/13 Book trailer production with Maine Authors Publishing

6/4/13 Falmouth Memorial Library Falmouth, Maine

Book Signing, Transformation Time presentation

6/3/13 Individual Coaching session- resume Camden, Maine

Book Signing, Transformation Time presentation

6/1/13 Individual Coaching session- resume writing

5/30/13 Samoset Resort Leadership Summit

Bar Harbor, Maine Powerful Professional Transformation: Unleashing Leadership

5/29/13 Axiom Book Awards

Providence NYC- Received Gold Medal for “From Fear to Success”

5/24/13-5/26/13 District 45 Toastmasters Conference

(Winner of the Table Topics (Impromptu) Contest, Speaker’s Panel)

Moncton, New Brunswick Canada

5/11/13 Individual Coaching Session- Interviewing

5/4/13 Made in Maine Expo- Book Signing with Maine Authors Publishing

Spectacular Event Center Bangor, Maine

4/23/13 Belfast, Maine

Discovering Your Authentic Leadership Discussion (based on HBR article)

4/12, 4/15, 4/18/13 Maine Streaming Media Bangor, Maine

Taping “From Fear to Success” Audio Book

4/10/13 Virtual Lunch and Learn- Webinar

From Fear to Success: Practical Public Speaking and Leadership Success

4/6/13 Area 5 Toastmasters International Speech Contest Belfast, Maine

(Winner of International Speech and Table Topics Speech Contests)

3/27/13 Waldo County YMCA Belfast, Maine

Living to Die, Dying to Live speech

3/26/13 Winthrop (Maine) Rotary Club (Winthrop Area Federal Credit Union on Highland Avenue)

Book Signing, “Jack” and Spech Dissection/Focus Group

3/25/13 Five Towns Adult Education Camden, Maine

Authors Night- discussion on self-publishing

3/21/13 Conference Call- Panel Discussions

Benefits of Professional Networking

3/21/13 Rockport Opera House Rockport, Maine

Book Signing, A Night of Inspiration and Transformation

3/18/13 Five Towns Adult Education Camden, Maine

Public Speaking – Practical Public Speaking- Part III

3/14/13 Dirigo Toastmasters Club International Speech Contest Belfast, Maine

3/12/13 Portland (Maine) Kiwanis Club

Book Signing, Transformation Time presentation

3/11/13 Five Towns Adult Education Camden, Maine

Public Speaking – Practical Approach (Part II)

3/6/13 Rockland Rotary Club Rockport, Maine

Transformation Discussion

3/5/13 Belfast, Maine

From Fear to Success: Practical Public Speaking

3/4/13 Five Towns Adult Education Camden, Maine

Public Speaking – Practical Approach (Part I)

2/27/13 Virtual Meeting / Teleconference

LEAD for Woman, Transformation Discussion

2/25/13 Five Towns Adult Education Camden, Maine

Business Focused Time Management & Organization

2/21/13 Carrabassett Valley Public Library Sugarloaf, Maine

Book Signing, Transformation Time presentation

2/19/13 Camden (Maine) Lions Club

Living to Die, Dying to Live

2/15/13 Thomas College Public-speaking Class Waterville, Maine

Transformation Time presentation, Living to Die, Dying to Live speech

2/8/13-2/10/13 Camden, Maine

U.S. National Toboggan Championships- Announcing

2/5/13 Augusta (Maine) Rotary (UMA campus)

Book Signing, Transformation Time presentation

2/4/13 Five Towns Adult Education Camden, Maine

Communication Skills for Business Professionals

1/28/13 Five Towns Adult Education Camden, Maine

It’s Not Bragging if It’s a Fact- Interviewing Workshop

1/26/13 Toastmasters Leadership Institute

Motivating the Team

1/22/13 Rockland (Maine) Public Library

Book Signing, Transformation Time presentation

1/22/13 Belfast, Maine

Business Focused Time Management & Organization

1/21/13 Individual Coaching Session

Resume Review and Networking

1/13/13 Maine Lions Club Gardiner, Maine

Book signing, Transformation Time with Transformation Tom

1/2/13 Belfast, Maine

Make Your Story Come Alive — Résumé Writing Workshop

12/22/12 Bangor Mall in JC Penny Court

Book signing Bangor, Maine

12/21/12 Portland Jetport

Book signing Portland, Maine

12/16/12 Sherman’s Books & Stationary Freeport, Maine

Sponsored by Sherman’s Books & Stationary

12/5/12 Belfast, Maine

Professional Networking

12/3/12 Five Towns Adult Education Camden, Maine

Keep Your Key Contributors — How to Retain Your Top Employees

12/1/12 Sherman’s Books & Stationary Camden, Maine

Sponsored by Sherman’s Books & Stationary

11/27/12 Camden Public Library Camden, Maine

Sponsored by Owl & Turtle Books

11/26/12 Five Towns Adult Education Camden, Maine

Maximizing Multiple Generations in the Workplace

11/24/12 The Reading Corner Rockland, Maine

Book Signing Sponsored by Rockland Festival of Lights

11/18/12 Point Lookout Northport, Maine

Book Signing Sponsored by Artfull Gifts Show

11/16/12 Point Lookout Northport, Maine

Book Signing Sponsored by Artfull Gifts Show

11/8/12 Five Towns Adult Education Camden, Maine

Authors Night- discussions on self-publishing

11/7/12 Belfast, Maine

Communication Skills for Business Professionals

11/5/12 Five Towns Adult Education Camden, Maine

It’s Not Bragging if it’s a Fact — Improve Interviewing Skills

11/4/12 Hilton Garden Inn, Bangor, Maine

Toastmasters District 45 Fall Conference- Training Session

Transformation Time with Transformation Tom

10/29/12 Five Towns Adult Education Camden, Maine

Make Your Story Come Alive — Résumé Writing Workshop

10/26/12 Thomas College Public Speaking Classes

Transformation Time with Transformation Tom

10/22/12 Five Towns Adult Education Camden, Maine

Do Everything YOU Want To Do — Time Management and Organization

10/17/12 MDI Toastmasters Club Bar Harbor, Maine

Area 5 Governor Visit and Speech- Funeral for a Friend

10/10/12 Five Towns Adult Education Camden, Maine

From Fear to Success — Practical Public-Speaking

10/3/12 Bangor Toastmasters Club Beal College Bangor, Maine

Area 5 Governor Visit and Speech- Funeral for a Friend speech

10/3/12 Belfast, Maine

Business Focused Time Management & Organization

10/1/12 Five Towns Adult Education Camden, Maine

Command and Influence — Better Business Communications

9/28/12 Book Launch and presentation Rockport Opera House

Transformation Time with Transformation Tom

9/24/12 Five Towns Adult Education Camden, Maine

Let Your Connections Work for You — How to Build a Professional Network

9/17/12 Five Towns Adult Education Camden, Maine

How to Transform Yourself into Who You Really Want to be Professionally

9/13/12 MWWCA Conference Sugarloaf Resort, Maine

Public Speaking: From Fear to Success

9/10/12 Coastmasters Toastmasters Club Camden, Maine

Area 5 Governor Visit and Speech- Funeral for a Friend

9/7/12 Individual Coaching Session- Interviewing

8/29/12 Circle of Champions Belfast, Maine

Transformation Time with Transformation Tom

7/19/12 Transformation Time with Transformation Tom Belfast, Maine

6/9/12 Individual Coaching Session- Interviewing

6/6/12 Individual Coaching Session- Interviewing

5/18/12-5/20/12 Toastmasters District 45 Spring Conference

(Table Topics Contestant (District 45 Champion))

5/15/12 Let Your Connections Work for You —

How to Build a Professional Network (Richardson, TX)

5/5/12 University of Maine- Hutchinson Center (Belfast, Maine)-

Powerful Professional Transformation: Unleashing Leadership

5/3/12 Belfast High School (Maine)-

It’s Not Bragging if it’s a Fact — Improve Interviewing Skills

5/1/12 Individual Coaching Session- Interviewing

4/28/12 Individual Coaching Session- Interviewing

4/28/12 Toastmasters Division B International Speech Contest

(Third Place) and Table Topics Contests (First Place)

4/24/12 Camden Hills Regional High School (Maine)-

It’s Not Bragging if it’s a Fact — Improve Interviewing Skills

4/14/12 Toastmasters Area 5 International Speech and Table Topics Contest

4/11/12 Acadia National Park- Do Everything YOU Want

To Do—Time Management and Organization

4/11/12 MDI Toastmasters Club

3/30/12 Conference by the Bay (2012 Nurses Convention- Rehoboth, DE)

4/4/12 Bangor Toastmasters Club

3/28/12 Rockland (Maine) Rotary Club-

Public-Speaking Leadership Success

3/20/12 Camden (Maine) Lions Club

3/14/12 Coastmasters Toastmasters Club

2/26/12 Belfast Rotary Youth Program (Outbound)-

Public-Speaking Leadership Success and Cultural Integration

2/25/12 Toast of the Coast Toastmasters (via Skype- Canada)

2/22/12 EMHS Toastmasters Club

2/21/12 Brunswick Toastmasters Club

2/11/12-2/12/12 U.S. National Toboggan Championships

(event announcer)

2/8/12 Belfast (Maine) Rotary Club

2/7/12 Lewiston-Auburn Toastmasters
//

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Post from Transformation Tom- Manage Your Time, Don’t Let it Manage You—Part I: Chapter from “The Transformation of a Doubting Thomas”

January 4, 2013 / tomdowd / News

Manage Your Time, Don’t Let it Manage You—Part I

I have found in my over twenty years of professional experience that poor time management skills are one of the biggest pitfalls for leaders. I am going to intentionally repeat myself: poor time management skills are one of the biggest pitfalls for leaders. I took organization training over eighteen years ago, and I understood at that time the power of managing my day and beyond. More importantly, I realized I couldn’t survive in the business world until I could manage the swirling days, weeks, and months around me. By actively staying organized, I found I could dedicate the appropriate time to urgent and important items, spend more time developing people, and yes, put out those dreadful fires that often come our way.

When you are running at capacity, the fire drill exercise will sacrifice something else that may need to be dropped. However, if you have full control and knowledge of your own capacity, you can not only do it right, but you have a chance to do it all, and more. Included in this section are highlights from an evolving organization course I have taught over the years for new and experienced managers. I have a positive reputation for being highly organized at work. Some call it being anal retentive or compulsive. However, very few people can remember me ever missing a key deadline.

First and foremost, people are the highest priority. Regardless of your job responsibilities or what is on your calendar for the day, people who work for you take the top billing. As a manager, how do you get all of the administrative work done if you are constantly bombarded with questions from your direct reports? Good managers can anticipate questions and concerns through staff meetings and team meetings. It is extremely important to lay out clear expectations and preparations, including what might be the best time to connect with you, what is on your plate for the day, and who to contact if you are not available. Being ahead of the game is also important. You can do this by anticipating common questions and put answers in your reports’ hands before the questions are even asked. Everyone wins.

Managers should also understand the most effective ways to present information to a particular audience. Knowing who you are presenting to and how well they will absorb the information is critical. How does your group like to be taught? For example, a manager might find success in asking open-ended questions to ensure clarity. Tossing facts and figures at a group of people and expecting them to remember can be difficult. There should be interaction and engagement from everyone. The group of people learning should feel comfortable, and the leader should invest the appropriate amount of time when it is all over. Sometimes in the past, I rushed information to people by talking at them, and was always surprised when I got a question later about the same subject. I have found it extremely helpful for time-management purposes to invest the time up front so that everyone learns and digests the information from the start. Group settings are extremely helpful in avoiding duplicate messages. If you are not a leader, you should ensure that this gets practiced by discussing this with your manager.

Leaders need to build time into their calendars for the unexpected. How can you do this if you don’t know what’s coming relating to those “I need it now” requests? If you are scheduled for an eight hour day, and your calendar is booked for that entire eight hours, it is guaranteed that you will not get everything done. The unexpected will happen during that time—I promise. I like to block off time in my day with follow-up items that occupy space on my calendar to cover loose ends. The blocks of time also allow flexibility if meetings go over or someone needs me for something important. These blocks of time are great for reflecting on past meetings, preparing for upcoming meetings, or conducting in-depth work.

You should also schedule time to get away from your desk. This builds in another block of time for the unexpected, and allows extra time for the flexibility to take a break and stay fresh. Below are some additional tips for the unexpected:

Schedule time for emails, return messages, etc. This minimizes your need to multitask and builds more open time. If you build an hour a day for this and it only takes thirty minutes, take advantage of the bonus time for other tasks.
Build in time for daily operations and be sensitive to potential impacts within your business. For example, in a call center, Mondays are often high call volume days. Managers are needed on the floor. Build that time on the floor into your calendar for non-meeting activities. Do not schedule your staff meetings during peak times, since the chances for interruption are high and a less productive meeting will occur.
Use miscellaneous blocks of time on your calendar for routine events that may not require a specific time. For example, you know you need two hours tomorrow to provide feedback to people on your team, or do a daily task like quality monitoring. You may schedule it for 10:00 A.M.-12:00 noon. The actual time is not as important as reserving the block of time of two hours. You can build in the flexibility to move this block of time through the same day as you need to as long as you remain committed to making it happen. Be careful of pushing it too late into the day, when you risk not completing it and are required to move it to another day. When you start carrying appointments over to other days, you run the risk of creating a bottleneck situation. For example, pushing the two hours to another day puts you four hours in the hole the following day.
Use recurring meetings to hold future times and dates. This habit gives people a heads up to reserve times and dates and should increase attendance to key meetings. It is respectful of other people’s calendars, since it will give everyone ample time to know what is ahead for them, and they can look forward to the same time and date each week or month.

One of the greatest things I did for my own sanity was to keep a pad of paper near my nightstand at home. How does this relate to time management? When random thoughts pop into my head at night, I write them down immediately. The benefits are as follows: 1) I don’t forget, thus I don’t waste time trying to remember, 2) I sleep better knowing I have immediately addressed my thoughts, 3) I have stronger ideas since I have reached the inner non-stressed part of my brain and can formulate a plan of action. All of this allows me to enter into my day knowing where and when things are happening, with a clear plan of attack to get it done.

Don’t be a slave to your calendar, but be committed to it and avoid constant appointment pushing. Consistent appointment pushing to another day is a red flag that you need to change the calendar process—it is either too full or you need to be more committed to it.

You should invest ample time in understanding your future calendar appointments. Organize tomorrow before leaving today. You should invest five minutes before leaving for the day. I make very few promises, but I will make an exception. I promise you will sleep better knowing exactly what’s on your plate tomorrow. You should actually schedule this five minute event for the end of day as a calendar appointment. Five invested minutes will save you hours later. Additionally, organize the next week every Friday. Look out a week at a time. Again, schedule this Friday event on your calendar. Finally, organize each month with a few days before the current month ends. Look out a month at a time. Once again, schedule this event on your calendar. This shouldn’t be done on the thirtieth of the month—it should be done around the twenty-sixth to avoid surprises in the first week of the following month. The outlook a month ahead of time allows you to determine what normal routines you need to conduct each month and how to spread them accordingly. When we have certain obligations that are required on a monthly basis, I find as high as ninety-five percent of the people on any given month, if given the choice, will do the task at the end of the month. Be in the minority and get things done before they are scheduled and due.

We are in a culture of procrastinators. I am on the opposite end of the spectrum, almost to the extreme, viewing it as the antithesis of procrastination. I want tasks out of the way as quickly as possible so that I can concentrate on other things. I front load certain events in the first or second week of each month to get them out of the way, and allow flexibility in case other events come up that need to be accomplished prior to the month ending. There have been many times when something did come up at the end of the month, and a number of leaders did not meet their requirements as a result. Keeping ahead of your schedule allows for the unexpected. As I was going through my career growing pains, it was effective time management that often kept me afloat.

Additional reading specific to time management: The Productivity Pro- Laura Stark https://www.theproductivitypro.com/blog/2013/01/how-your-standards-can-slow-you-down/#respond

Thomas B. Dowd III’s books The Transformation of a Doubting Thomas: Growing from a Cynic to a Professional in the Corporate World (Honorable Mention at the 2012 New England Book Festival) and From Fear to Success: A Practical Public-speaking Guide (2013 Axiom Business Book Awards Gold Medal Winner and 2013 Paris Book Festival Honorable Mention) are available under “Products” on www.transformationtom.com. Book and eBook purchase options are also available on Amazon- Please click the link to be re-directed: Amazon.com

eBook purchase options include the following- Click link to be re-directed:

Amazon.com

Barnes & Noble (Nook)

Smashwords

Kobo

Sony eBooks

Apple Store (iTunes)