Leadership & Professional Development

Free Access to Lynda.com via Libraries

What is Lynda.com?
Lynda.com offers well organized tutorials on all kinds of software such as the Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe Suite, various other multimedia programs, professional development topics, project management, programing languages, and more. To be clear, I don’t work for Lynda.com nor do I get a kickback for endorsing them here. It’s just a really great product, and I’ve gained a lot of advanced expertise all on my own using the tutorials available. You can see all the topics and courses available without logging in, so take a look to see what I mean. You can even watch some of the videos, just not entire courses.

Inside of Thompson Library at OSU. Photo features a staircase overlooking a main floor and several stories of the building with glass walls.

Thompson Library

First, get your library card:
You’ll need a free Columbus Metropolitan Library (CML) membership to get free access to Lynda.com. Bring your BuckID to Thompson Library to sign up for a CML membership. Fill out the form listing an Ohio address, which should ideally be your home, but could also be your office, dorm or department. After completing the form, you’ll receive your CML card and PIN. Alternatively, you can sign up for a membership at one of the many CML branch locations around Columbus or online. If you choose the online option, you may have to wait up to 10 days for your library card to arrive in the mail.

Then, log in for free:
Don’t go to Lynda.com and click on the Sign In button like a normal paying user. Instead, visit go.osu.edu/lyndacml, to be prompted Continue reading Free Access to Lynda.com via Libraries →

Why Use U.OSU?

closely cropped Image of OSU seal with the words "What is U.osu?" superimposed over imageFor me, U.osu has been nothing short of empowering. Whatever your job is, I’d be willing to bet it probably involves organizing information in some way. Do you have to evaluate proposals? Collaboratively review information and provide feedback? Provide your team with updates? Have a central repository for documents, photos, information, or links? Outline processes, policies, procedures, or instructions? Delegate tasks to a team? Share updates and provide access to departmental forms? Continue reading Why Use U.OSU? →

Learn Photoshop Fast

Image open in Photoshop window. Image is of a mature couple laughing and holding each other at a beach with white sands fading into green water and sunny blue sky.Photoshop CS6 Essential Training is one of many complete video tutorial courses offered on Lynda.com. Need Photoshop Creative Cloud training? That’s offered now too! You can access the tutorials for free one of three ways, then choose to watch only the videos that apply to you. No more hunting around on Youtube to find out exactly how to do what you need. All the Continue reading Learn Photoshop Fast →

Bike & Breakfast with our Mayor

And no I’m not talking Foursquare-mayor! Click the pic for details.Screen shot of bike to work columbus webpage, featuring a photo of mayor Coleman, a red banner w/ the skyline of columbus, and the following text. Join Bike to Work Day, on Friday, May 16 rain or shine by riding into downtown along one of seven pre-planned routes described below and mapped here (open using Chrome). Each group ride will end at Columbus Commons for breakfast, awards, booths, and networking at 8:00AM. Mayor Michael B. Coleman will ride with the group that has the most committed riders. Registration is now open.Sign up for the route meeting at Third & Hollywood if you want to go with my group. Otherwise, take whichever route is most convenient for you, and I’ll see you at the Commons!  Continue reading Bike & Breakfast with our Mayor →

Map Your Mind With SimpleMind

I just downloaded SimpleMind, a free mind mapping tool for quickly creating branched diagrams useful for laying out your thoughts in a more dynamic way than the traditional tabbed outline allows.

Screenshot of mind map of dad's wifi project

Use it to easily create a diagram of anything with multiple levels of association, such as jotting down and organizing the points to hit when writing about a complex topic, laying out the structure of a website, or in my case, mapping out the “project” of setting up wifi for my dad. He lives a couple hours away, so unless I want to be stuck giving tech support on the phone across English and Cantonese, I better get it right the first time!  Continue reading Map Your Mind With SimpleMind →

Actually, Money Can Buy Happiness

Illustration of a man with a piggy bank for a brain.I listened to The Money Paradox over the weekend, and heard some really fascinating research on money and how we interact with it. There’s an hour of great content here, on how we use money like monkeys, how your mother language dictates the way you invest (or don’t), and even how you can in fact, buy happiness. So throw this on your speakers while you do some Spring cleaning around the house, then Continue reading Actually, Money Can Buy Happiness →

Gratitude and Health

As a manager, it’s my job not only to make sure my staff get paid on time, but to ensure our cohesiveness as a team and motivation to keep being awesome employees. As a friend, it’s easy to think that those around me know how much I appreciate them…and maybe they do, but what’s the harm in saying so? In fact, studies show it’ll make me healthier.

Two images. On left, a box of multicolored generic thank you cards. On right, three OSU themed cards.

According to Robert Emmons, Ph.D., professor of psychology at UC Davis and author of Thanks! How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier, those who practice grateful Continue reading Gratitude and Health →

Getting To Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In

Two kids are arguing over an orange, so they diplomatically decide to split it in half. Both kids go home, satisfied that the deal was fair. One kid eats the orange and throws away the peel; the other uses the peel to bake a cake and throws away the orange. If they would have talked about the specifics of their needs, both kids could have essentially gone home with the whole orange.

Female child holding an orange over her right eye and smiling, juxtaposed next to the cover of the book Getting To Yes

That was just one of the many stories/examples you’ll find in Getting To Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In. As the book will attest, it’s not about winning the argument Continue reading Getting To Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In →