winningwithhorsepower.org - Enter your slogan here
 |
|
Blog
Mental Health Day
A long time ago in a land far away, I got my first job with a Mid-West grocery chain working at their headquarters. There benefit package included three “Mental Health Days.” With the advent of Political Correctness (PC) dictated a change in terminology to “Personal Days” and later the were just rolled into a general pool of earned time off “PTO” hours.Hours... take an hour off, 60 minutes and live a little... Hmm...
Perhaps the great “They” were right in the first place - lookout for your mental well being and take a day off - Live A Little!
Go out and have some fun, do something for you! Be grateful and joyful about something simple, a smile, laughter, a lovely sunset, whatever makes you happy and gives your a mental break.
When you are good to yourself you will be better prepared to be the same for others. Giving a kind word of thanks or encouragement, perhaps go old school open a door for someone or make a call rather than send an email.
Do yourself and others a favor -- surrounding yourself with as many positive, healthy minded/living people as possible. A Duke University and Canada’s Waterloo University study showed that time spent with happy friends instantly puts you in a positive mood because our brains are wired to subconsciously mimc the personality traits of those around us. Ever heard the saying that we are measured by who we hang around with? It’s a truism.
Make it a great day!
QUIET LEADERSHIP - A LESSON FROM CHANCE
And How It Applies To The Work Place & Equine Facilitated Learning
We are all familiar with the term Fight or Flight and perhaps the closely related term Predator / Prey but what you may not know is that no matter how big the horse, it still sees it’s self as Prey and how this may relate to equine facilitated learning.
Sometimes the fear is justified; predators like mountain lions are a reality. Yet most of the time a horses flight mechanism is triggered by something harmless. As a western rancher friend of mine replied when I ask what may have startled a horse I was riding, “killer shadow.”
The same thing happens in offices and work teams, sometimes people's fears are justified and action should be taken (ex.:communication, skill building, creative problem solving, etc.). Other times, maybe even most of the time, it’s much to do about nothing. Thoughts, rumors, insecurities, information voids eating into productivity and morale.
Horses, like people working together in business, have a hierarchical structure with members taking on both leadership and support roles. Like in the human world, horses look to their leaders for guidance, information, clarity of their individual purpose and to provide a safe, effective working environment. And yes... sometimes there is the butting of heads; just in the horse world that is meant literally and can be quite dramatic.
This all came to mind as I was working with Chance. A 17.2 hand (tall) Hunter/Jumper (event specialty). Chance performs well in some areas, in the arena for example, and he trailers to events well, but he has a bad response to being in a stall. He is what is referred to as a "Weaver:. It is a condition that can cause a horse to neurotically run around in its stall; not a good or safe situation.
I was invited to work with Chance to do therapeutic sports massage and wellness, an early passion of mine. The first visit was both unsettling and enlightening. It was evident Chance needed help but I questioned if would I be up to the challenge. I called upon Winning With Horse Power associates Terri Mongait (CO) and Cindy Hartzel (CA). Both are in the equine facilitated learning field and have expertise in equine wellness. Empowered by their input I worked with Chance once a week, making progress on each visit.
On week four Chance had a breakthrough! He was able to find peace, trust and confidence. At the start of the session, Chance was expressing signs of stress. It could have easily gone down hill fast with him reverting to his weaving default. It was time to do something before that occurred. I could have tried to dominate the situation (a both dangerous and ineffective choice ) or physically restrained him with cross ties. What I chose to do instead is stand quietly, gazing out of the stall door. I held the peace for Chance. Within a moment or two Chance came quietly to my side, with his head at my shoulder and also gazed out of the stall door. He had found the leader he needed to feel safe in the moment. The crowning moment for me was when I was facing him working on his front left leg, he gently rested his head on my back.
As with most ingrained patterns there is not a quick fix and it will take continued time and effort but on that day there was hope.
So many parallels can be drawn. To be at his best, Chance needed to know he was in a safe environment. He needed information about what his role was to be and he needed to be given the resources and positive feedback to be effective. Simply put, he needed a role-model to lead him.
Quiet leadership was the key and consistent leadership may offer a long term effective solution.
I’ll always remember Chance, working with him was a challenge that I learned a lot from.
You too can learn with horses - making memories you will never forget. Please take a moment to check out our provider directory. You'll find many areas of expertise -- see what resonates with you. Give us a call if you would like to learn more. It’s time well spent. Equine facilitated learning brings communication and business practices to life, where leaders can build their skills while teams come together as a cohesive group - for a ROI like no other.
Last Updated on Thursday, 23 February 2012 19:14
POWER UP IN 2012
|
WINNING WITH HORSE POWER IS YOUR CONNECTION FOR POWER, STRENGTH, INTELLIGENCE, BEAUTY & NATURE
AND WE ARE JUST GETTING STARTED - COME ALONG FOR THE RIDE!
Recently attended a year-end Success Celebration for the Women’s Business Center at Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Florida. The board of directors was on hand as were many notable academics, entrepreneurs and others. The conversations were fascinating. One successful business person/consultant with amazing credentials was asking about Winning With Horse Power. In relating what we accomplished in our first year, impressed and very positive, they offered these insights: the first year of a company is akin to a yearling trying to get it’s footing and for the first three years you are really building the foundation.
The three year concept ties in with Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000 Hour Rule. It takes an extraordinary amount of time and passion - 10,000 hours - to become really good at at anything complex.
I started Winning With Horse Power in the Fall of 2010 and with the combined hours dedicated to it in both 2010 and 2011 I am definitely on the way to being an expert on the “Big Picture” including the many facets and areas of expertise of the equine experiential field, advancing awareness of it, promoting providers and the services they offer. This ground breaking work keeps your feet on the ground - no riding, and no horse experience needed.
Winning With Horse Power’s tag line is, Global Connection for Equine Experiential Learning, Coaching & More. And there is so much More - more to share, more to educate, more to inspire, more to train, more to coach, more employ and be employed by.
HR, Medical, Travel & Hospitality, Academics, Not-For-Profit, T&D or R&D, and all other industries & fields, executives and individuals looking for premier coaches and facilitators - we are your connection for customized, focused, memorable professional and personal development that provides lasting results and a positive Return On Investment.
Passion for the Equine Experiential field and its potential -- knowing how many people can benefit from this great resource -- that keeps my energy high. Let’s talk in the New Year, I’d appreciate the opportunity to speak with your personally to share my passion and discuss how Winning With Horse Power can benefit and be in service to you and your interests and passions.
Get off to a running start in 2012 by being a part of this positive, worthwhile effort. If you are currently an associate provider stick with us. If you’re not, join in. If you have experienced it plan to again. If you haven’t tried equine experiential learning or coaching do!
Power-up in 2012 by partnering up with Winning With Horse Power’s powerful developmental resources and expert associate providers covering all areas in the equine experiential field world-wide.
Best Wishes for a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous 2012.
Let’s talk,
Eileen
BEST AND BRIGHTEST LOOK TO SHINE ON
I live on the Space Coast of Florida. It's a great mix of surfers, retirees, blue collar people and aeronautical space workers. The sarcastic come back, "who are you, a rocket scientist?..." not a good one to use around here, as the person is likely to pull out a NASA I.D. badge.
Recently I was invited by Women's Business Center, located at Florida Technical Institute, (one of the nation's top 25 engineering universities), to speak at Workforce. The audience was an entrepreneurial group of individuals laid off from the Space industry, men and women who were influential on some of the most amazing science advances and projects of our time. They were scientists, engineers, technical experts and others who were influential with the international space station and shuttle programs, as well as rocket and satellite development and deployments that add to our security and communication resources and so much more.
It was truly an experience I appreciated being a part of, being there in front of the packed room of such remarkable, gracious individuals.
I shared with them the same words spoken to me by trusted advisers and mentors, M.D.s, executives and successful entrepreneurs as well as some of my own insights:
- Focus on what you have a passion for and truly enjoy
- You will never work harder than when you work for yourself
- Everything is likely to take more time, money and effort than planned
- Be frugal, save where you can and don't spend money you don't have
- Start out strong with a well thought-out, thorough business plan
There were great questions, very good interaction between the panelist and audience. The time flew and at the end I think we all gained valuable insights and left more motivated than when we all entered.
For me it was a terrific experience and reassuring that everyone to one extent or another relates to horses, either from childhood dreams and memories or their equine friend in the field out back.
Do they know what equine experiential learning is? No. Do I get the question, "What is this therapy or that horse whisperer thing?" Yes. But do you know what that says to me? Get out there! Keep educating people. Speak to groups, be on panels. Building understanding, builds business!
Last Updated on Friday, 14 October 2011 17:59
Getting Away From It All - Going Unplugged
Really, is that even possible?!? How far would you go and how tough would it be for you?
Recently I watched an episode of International House Hunters that resonated with me. An engineer from Arizona was looking at properties off the grid in Belize hoping not to be able to plug into his life back home.
Not being able to plug in... As one of those people who rely on my computer and smart phone, I got a little uneasy at the thought. And I'm not even hooked on Social Media, yet... Dennis, my laid-back, beloved spouse would rather play, "Does It Float", with my MacBook, so no sympathy there! But to make him happy and test my own discipline, I decided to go computer cold turkey for two days, last weekend.
True story, it worried me. I made a deal with friend and colleague Skye to check email each day, and asked that she text me if there was a problem. On Friday I turned off the computer and turned it back it on just one time within the hour when Skye called with a quick question. I then shut it down again, walked away, closed the office door and worked at doing the same with the part of my brain that works on business issues, which was more of a challenge.
The happy ending, I did it! The office door stayed shut, computer off and I had a good weekend! I did make up with it with one early morning and extra long day on Tuesday but it was worth the down time, and while it was a baby step, this exercise in self-control did provide a sense of accomplishment.
Unplugging - maybe the tougher it is, the more you may need to give it a try!
Last Updated on Tuesday, 27 September 2011 12:34
Creating Opportunity
from: Eileen Tighe, Winning With Horse Power, President/CEORecently I had the pleasure to speak on a teleconference with the Horse Sense Business Sense, LLC, Trailblazers. This group is made of of equine learning providers dedicated to excellence through continued professional development.
The focus of the conversation was Gearing Up v. Cutting Back In Challenging Economic Times and The Critical Value of Community and Marketing the Field. Here are a few of the highlights from our conversation.
Gearing Up v. Cutting Back In Challenging Economic Times
Finding opportunity during adverse times:
- Take a fresh look at every aspect of your business, challenge yourself on how you may be able to make it better, do it better, offer more. Creative thinking at its best!
- Invest in learning when preparing to call on a corporate client. Take the time to learn as much about the company as possible.
Arm yourself with current business statics on employee engagement, current trends and issues that may be helpful. - Be prepared to share compelling reasons why what you are offering will be a standout from the average conference room setting and be a refreshing break from office distractions -- making memories that will last a life time -- now that's ROI!
- Everyone you meet is a potential client or repeat client. Be ready to make the most of every possibility.
Last Updated on Tuesday, 27 March 2012 17:32
More Articles...
Page 1 of 2
Visit Us
