Chef Stephen "Smokey" Schwartz took home his third grand prize from the 18th annual Championship BBQ held at Chicago’s Navy Pier on May 17. More than 1,000 chefs, restaurateurs and other foodservice professionals gathered to mingle and sample food and beverages at the event, which benefits Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign. Entries in the cooking competition ranged from cheeseburgers to pulled pork, but Schwartz chose to look beyond typical barbecue ingredients when constructing his winning dish. Chef Schwartz (left) accepts a prize from Edward Don & Company owner Steve Don (Photo: Laura Meyer Photography) "The judges at the 18th annual Championship BBQ and Cookout sure had a tough choice to make … all the food this year was incredible but in the end it was Stephen "Smokey" Schwartz from Burnt End BBQ who took home the prize, for his apple and pecan smoked rabbit rillettes, with rabbit bresaola, compressed watermelon and pickled watermelon rind, freekeh grains, micro greens, popped sorghum and citrus vinaigrette," said Championship BBQ creator and former publisher of Food Arts magazine Barbara Mathias. The Overland Park, Kan., chef has attended the Championship BBQ 17 times — taking home first place in 2006 and 2012 — and said he is inspired to think outside the box when cooking for the event, since "Chicago is the biggest foodie city in the world." When creating this year’s dish, Schwartz "started with the grains and from there I came into the rabbit … mainly I picked the rabbit because it’s hard to do right," said Schwartz, who was assisted by chef Aaron Whitcomb of Level 257 in Schaumburg, Ill. Barilla’s winning booth design (Photo:Laura Meyer photography) The runner-up in the cooking competition was chef Ryan McCaskey, from popular Chicago restaurant Acadia. Also awarded that night was a prize for best tabletop design, which went to Barilla for a flower-and-pasta tablescape inspired by the Labriola restaurant in Chicago. The three winners took home prizes provided by Edward Don & Company. SmartBrief is the official media sponsor of the Championship BBQ benefiting No Kid Hungry. __________________________________________________ If you enjoyed this article, join SmartBrief’s email list for more stories about the food and beverage industry. We offer 14 newsletters covering the industry from restaurants to food manufacturing. Related Posts: Q&A: Championship BBQ in Chicago celebrates 18 years of fighting child hunger How to be a leader against childhood hunger Q&A: How the Food Business School is cooking up a new kind of culinary education Q-and-A: Sparkling ICE embraces the foodie movement with chef-created recipes Chef Michael Schwartz shares his Oscar-worthy recipes Chef’s risk with rabbit pays off at Championship BBQ originally published by SmartBlogs

SmartBlog on Education will highlight summer learning and enrichment for educators during June. ASCD Emerging Leader Barry Saide helps kick off coverage of the topic. Todd Whitaker states, "Professional development begins with induction." The crux of his statement is that when we hire someone for their first role in education, we should look at their character first, and their characteristics second. We should visualize where the person being hired adds value to our organization, how that person can support the initiatives we currently have in play, or how their skill set fits the direction we have for our organization. Now, Todd Whitaker is a very smart man. To draw an analogy, if Todd Whitaker is the golf pro, I’m the equivalent of the golf ball whacker guy. But, on this one point, I think I’m right, and you can tweet this: Professional development shouldn’t begin with induction, because if it does, we’ve skipped the first step. The first step in professional development should begin with the hiring process. And, the hiring process should begin with reflection by those involved in the interview process. When we hire on a district or building level, we ask questions about working with children, peers, and families. We draw from there whether this person is someone we trust, want to spend time with, and will represent us well. Depending on the role we’re hiring for, we may require additional interviews, writing samples or a demo lesson. One thing we do not require is for us as interviewers to reflect on ourselves prior to the interview even begins. We should begin by interviewing ourselves and asking: Are we holding ourselves accountable to the answers we’re expecting of candidates? Are we measuring up to the mission and vision of the district? Do we even understand and feel part of the mission and vision of our larger organization? It’s this time we take to critically reflect on ourselves and our purpose in the larger organization in which we serve, which will accurately anchor us when asking the right questions and seeking the best answers to add value to our organization. It’s only when we truly understand ourselves and the needs of our organization at its most basic level that we can provide for its needs. As such, our questions for the interview process should be ever-changing, modified to where we are as learners, teachers and leaders, and what the needs are of our constituencies. If we do not take the time to reflect and revise in order to advance, how can we expect the quality of our choices to improve? Hiring is an inexact science at best, but we can at least shave off the odds to ever be in our favor by expecting more of ourselves, prior to asking more of others. A second thing we do not consistently ask of candidates is to produce something tangible. We know from research that the highest level of learning is when students can teach skills, strategies and concepts to someone else. This demonstrates mastery. When we hire, we’re looking for master teachers and leaders. Shouldn’t our hiring process look for mastery, too? The closest thing we have to a performance task in the hiring process is a writing sample or demo lesson. Writing a response to a question or statement does not accurately measure true mastery of what’s being judged. It does measure the ability for someone to write on demand. A demo lesson provides a window into what may be seen when a candidate teaches a lesson in their own classroom, if given enough lead time to prepare something with bells and whistles. But, isn’t what we’re looking for from teachers long-term is what teaching looks like without the bells and whistles? What everyday best practice looks like? What will keep the students engaged, long after the bells have lost their chime, and the fireworks fizzle out? I wonder what it would look like if we ask a candidate to identify something they’re most passionate about that our organization would benefit from. What if a candidate has 30 minutes to develop a basic framework and outline to lead professional development on her passion-based project. The candidate pitches their idea, the validity for it, how to implement it on a small scale and the potential positive long-term effects. Wouldn’t a window into the soul of a potential new hire, how they view themselves adding to our organization, and having them create their own PD plan to accomplish that, be the best possible indicator of whether someone is a best fit? And, wouldn’t this PD plan guide us in creating future professional development opportunities for our current staff while building leadership capacity within our new hire? How good would a new hire feel if we made it clear that we have a plan in place to invest in them from the day she is hired, and that her passions and skill set play a primary role in the process? When we talk about professional and personal development from within, we highlight our best people doing their best work. As we move forward into the summer, where it is prime time for PD work and hiring new staff, it is so important that we revisit to our hiring processes and look for the following: When we hired current staff members and identified how they added value to us, what did they bring that we did not have? Did we hold them accountable for this? Does our professional and personal development opportunities reflect the current needs of our organization as we envisioned during our previous hiring process? Do we have the right staff to meet the needs of our organization at all levels, including in personal and professional development? The answer to these questions is less important than our willingness to ask them. If we are willing to ask the hard question and accept the hard truths that come with them, we will continue to point the needle upwards and move onwards in our never ending quest to be best for children. Barry Saide is an elementary-school teacher in Flemingon, N.J., and an ASCD emerging leader.  If you enjoyed this article, join SmartBrief’s email list for more stories about education. We offer newsletters covering educational leadership, math education and more. Related Posts: Channeling Goldilocks: Trying to get it "just right" Teaching with mobile tech 13 time-saving tips for continuous self-education 5 attitudes to accelerate leadership development in 2015 No follow up on the follow up? PD from within originally published by SmartBlogs

(Photo: Flickr user Yelp Inc.) Mobile technology is becoming increasingly prevalent in the lives of consumers, who are looking for more ways to interact with people and brands using their mobile devices. More and more, retailers and restaurants are making use of technology in their physical locations that allows them to enhance the experiences customers are having when they dine or shop. SmartBrief talked to Maya Mikhailov, chief marketing officer of GPShopper, an integrated mobile platform that helps businesses like food retailers and restaurants build mobile applications that enhance features like commerce and loyalty and creates a "remote control for the brand," and Ramsey Masri, CEO of OtherLevels, a digital marketing platform that helps mobile marketers engage mobile audiences effectifely. Mikhailov talked about the advantages of technology that uses mobile to interact with customers while they’re in stores, which is where most transactions take place, and three trends in particular that have emerged through the use of such technology. Shopper education Mikhailov said that technology like push notification and geotargeting has made engaging loyal customers outside of the store easier for retailers and restaurants. For restaurant chains in particular, interactions like push notifications can help drive repeat visits among customers at different locations. Mikhailov cited Ruth’s Chris Steak House as an example, pointing to the chain’s digital loyalty program, which engages diners like business travelers when they are near a restaurant location they might not regularly dine at. "It allows for more engagement inside the restaurant and it allows them to continue a conversation outside of it," she said. However, restaurants and retailers should not use technology for the sake of using technology when trying to engage their shoppers in stores, according to Mikhailov. "Think about your customers’ journey and think about how you’re providing them value," she said. For Masri, the key for retailers and restaurants is to engage with diners and shoppers based on data about their preferences, behavior and spending patterns. And focusing on the most loyal set of customers is most effective. "Focus the bulk of marketing assets on the opted-in, already-engaged customers, because they’re the most valuable to the franchise and a business’s success," Masri said. Enhancing that education through mobile Mikhailov said that technology allows restaurants and retailers to have more meaningful conversations with their customers. "Print is sort of a one-way conversation," she said. "But now thanks to the data and thanks to the fact that apps are so interactive, they’re able to have these two-way conversations where customers are able to set preferences on their mobile devices and retailers…are able to respond to those preferences." For retailers, in-store mobile applications that use technology like beacons help engage customers while they’re in the store, Mikhailov said. For Lunds & Byerlys, an upscale Twin Cities supermarket chain, she said such technology has helped incite more participation from shoppers in the retailer’s mobile features like shopping lists and targeted circulars and in in-store events. The result is a better shopping experience for Lunds & Byerlys customers. And according to Mikhailov, the best results are achieved when retailers make use of multiple channels to send different types of messages that help create a better in-store shopping experience. "Use multiple channels…because the consumers are touching multiple touch points," she said. Mobile technology gives retailers and restaurants a way to enhance consumers’ education, but it also gives brands a way to learn more about their customers, too, Masri said. Because today’s consumers almost always have their mobile devices in-hand, mobile interactions provide restaurants and retailers with an opportunity to collect data about where shoppers are, what their preferences are and what type of interactions they’re likely to engage with. "That data is a great source of information for marketers to craft campaigns, messaging strategies, promotions and other initiatives," Masri said. "The goal for marketers is to create seamless, satisfying experiences between offline, online and in-store marketing activations" Today’s on-demand economy Mikhailov called today’s economy an on-demand one in which shoppers want to do things how they want to do them and when they want to do them. Much like Uber, consumers expect that on-demand service when they go to restaurants and stores. For example, Mikhailov said restaurants are enhancing their apps with features that allow diners to get in live for a table before they even get to the restaurant. Mikhailov used Chili’s as another example of how in-store technology can enhance customers’ experiences with brands. Tablets at the tables allow diners to pull up their loyalty information, informing them about whether they qualify for any rewards or spurring additional purchases by offering points for trying items they’ve never had before. Such an interaction allows for extra digital authority in the restaurant space, Mikhailov said. It is important for restaurants and retailers to realize that consumers want these interactions when they are in the store, for the most part, Mikhailov said, especially in the food and beverage space as dietary preferences change and people want to know more about their food. But it is also important to realize that in-store technology is not a replacement for human beings, she said. "People still want to have interactions and good customer service experiences," Mikhailov said. "Don’t over-message mobile customers," Masri said. "Find the balance that keeps them engaged and satisfied without interrupting their busy lives or being perceived as intrusive." __________________________________________________ If you enjoyed this article, join SmartBrief’s email list for more stories about the food and beverage industry. We offer 14 newsletters covering the industry from restaurants to food manufacturing. Related Posts: How the food industry is making sense of big data Price matching: Mobile apps make it easier to find food bargains Elevating loyalty programs in the digital age Report: What do food industry operators want and how do they buy? Prepared foods report: New consumer behaviors hone in on fresh, healthy and sustainable Experts: Using mobile technology to enhance the dining and shopping experience originally published by SmartBlogs

Taking a critical look at the success of others is a key way to gain insight into how you too can succeed at a task. If that task is being a successful branded Twitter account, you can’t look to anyone better than Samsung Mobile for inspiration. They have more followers than any other branded account, their shares are tremendous and their interaction is top-notch. How did they do this? They’re not as cool as Apple. They don’t have the far-reaching product line of Sony. They don’t have the brand power of Nike. Few would call them the best cell phone manufacturer in the world. This post is going to look at what they’re doing right, and will show you: @SamsungMobile’s dominance in the branded Twitter account game The tweets that succeeded at meeting various goals This will give you the best chance of learning from what they have done so that you can do it yourself! Samsung Mobile’s Popularity on Twitter I am going to be refer to information from Social Baker’s Twitter data to support this. The first thing to look at is how they compare to other branded Twitter accounts. Here are the top brands on Twitter by follower count: With over 2.3 million more followers, you can’t touch them. Starbucks are currently growing at a rapid pace, but this may be a gap they can’t close — no matter how many Pumpkin Spice lattes they sell. Samsung’s dominance of Twitter is clearly established. Tweets that help them reach their goals Of course, having a lot of Twitter followers never helped anyone on its own. What those followers do is what matters. Samsung has a great strategy for their Twitter account and you can plainly see it by the tweets they share. The basics for all of their tweets are: They are media saturated — Vine videos, YouTube videos, images and GIFs make their account look great. Every tweet has a relevant hashtag. Most are branded ones they create, but they have joined in on outside hashtags. Smart use of calls to action at the moments they’re needed. I’ll look at each of these three points in detail using Samsung’s own tweets. Media saturation Nearly every single tweet that Samsung sends out has some sort of image or video attached to it. They have one of the best looking Twitter timelines on the service. Here are three tweets, all released in a row, which show their commitment to using media heavily: The #GalaxyS6 has journeyed around the world and back. Experience the epic trip at http://t.co/hxPAJxQmlM #NextIsNow https://t.co/nTwhVRFYp1 — Samsung Mobile (@SamsungMobile) May 21, 2015 Only in #Tokyo can you see a neon robot battle. The future is here. Go to see what’s next on http://t.co/hxPAJxyLue. pic.twitter.com/kubupZuJor — Samsung Mobile (@SamsungMobile) May 20, 2015 Konnichiwa, Tokyo! The #GalaxyS6 Platinum Gold is here to capture what’s now. #NextIsNow #ShotFromTheGalaxy pic.twitter.com/x4kuxIixpY — Samsung Mobile (@SamsungMobile) May 20, 2015 That was a Twitter video and two images. You can pick out any three tweets in a row on their whole timeline and you’ll find three media heavy tweets. They also use Vine and YouTube video, embed other tweets, and have custom made infographics that expand on tweet content. Samsung Mobile know that 140 characters isn’t nearly enough to carry out a sustainable marketing message on Twitter. Their continued dedication to using multi-media helps build their engaged audience, is a key aspect of how they get Twitter followers for free via retweets, and the media-heavy content lets them tell their brand story in a very engaging way. Samsung Mobile’s use of hashtags We all know that hashtags are important, but many brands stumble with them. Samsung Mobile have hashtags down perfectly with their own hashtags, like #GalaxyS6 for their ongoing campaign for their newest smartphone, or their #AvengersSamsung hashtag which tied into their involvement with "Age of Ultron": Ever dreamed of being an Avenger? ‘Battle for Avengers Tower’ now available on #GearVR #AvengersSamsung https://t.co/Exna5RZ1Ak — Samsung Mobile (@SamsungMobile) May 1, 2015 OK, we can’t all afford to have close involvement with one of the biggest movie franchises of all time, but we can create hashtags that tie in with important media events. You’re free to start your own branded hashtag that ties in with a major award show, sporting event, a chat you host, or a special TV program. Samsung Mobile’s strategy for using hashtags that aren’t their own is inventive. They hashtag pictures of cities, a great idea for the sharp images and media heavy strategy: The Forbidden City meets the #GalaxyS6. Stay tuned to see what’s next in #Beijing. #NextIsNow #ShotFromTheGalaxy pic.twitter.com/aXSQKGuHwa — Samsung Mobile (@SamsungMobile) May 16, 2015 Photographers use this trick all the time to gain followers. Finding hashtags that you can join in on is a very important part of a branded Twitter hashtag strategy that you need to tap into to find people who may not have ever found you. Using call to action to direct behavior For the most part, Samsung Mobile lets their tweets exist without calls to action. They’re incredibly popular and getting what they want from their audience — retweets and interaction — through excellent content alone. When they do use calls to action it is for very directed behavior. This tweet has a call to action directing people to their website: #NextIsNow taking a new perspective on #Shanghai. #ShotFromTheGalaxy Go to see what’s next on http://t.co/Nb67PktSVg pic.twitter.com/Wg6srxzDau — Samsung Mobile (@SamsungMobile) May 13, 2015 Here they’re urging people to watch a video that using their technology: See how video installation artist Marco Brambilla created a work inspired by the shape of #GalaxyS6edge. https://t.co/hJMJzqdCw3 — Samsung Mobile (@SamsungMobile) May 8, 2015 In this last one they’re urging fans to join them at future events after the conclusion of one they had just covered on the Twitter account: This S Carpet launch is over, but find an event near you to keep the excitement going. http://t.co/neMVt3x6Pp pic.twitter.com/Ef1sTkdBWO — Samsung Mobile (@SamsungMobile) April 9, 2015 Their Twitter strategy doesn’t involve using endless calls to action on every tweet. They pick and choose their spots to get the most from the least effort. Think about how an actual person tweets. Is every tweet full of "Click here NOW to learn more" content, or is most of it simply them sharing their thoughts, images, video, and links? It’s definitely the latter, and you need to know this in your own Twitter marketing. Samsung Mobile’s example of a complete Twitter marketing strategy Samsung Mobile has shown you that they got to the top of the Twitter world with a complete marketing plan. The more time you spend analysing their strategy, and applying it to your own, the better your own Twitter marketing will be. While their budget may be much, much larger than yours, that doesn’t mean you can adapt. Twitter is as close to a level marketing field as you’ll get. IDeas and strategies can scale, you just need the imagination, planning, and to have put in the hours of study to make it happen. Matthew is a Twitter and social media marketing expert currently writing for Devumi’s Twitter and SMM blog. You can find him there every Friday with a new post for the latest in digital advertising, or you can stop by the Devumi Twitter account for tweets all day! Related Posts: Running scared when failure occurs Taming the Tweets of Corporate Execs: A look at Elon Musk and Tesla How to align your social strategy with the rise of private sharing Tracking the evolution of content publishing at #SXSW How social media fits into the content marketing workflow Why Samsung Mobile’s Twitter account is so popular originally published by SmartBlogs

SmartBlog on Education will highlight summer learning and enrichment for educators during June. In this blog post, advocate and author Ayanna Cooper explores professional development models for teachers of English learners. In an effort to improve outcomes for students identified as English learners (ELs) a number of initiatives, program models, standards and assessments, model curriculum units, etc., have been created, spearheaded, implemented and evaluated. Despite all of this, in some places, a complex step has been inadvertently missed: supporting teachers of ELs as leaders. One shot professional development sessions, although not supported by research as effective, still exist. Diverse and creative professional development offerings are imperative. When school leaders are autonomous and vested in improving outcomes for ELs, the focus shifts from isolated student achievement to investing in teachers as leaders. The following scenarios are examples of approaches to professional development for educators of ELs. The list is by no means exhaustive of what is available but it illustrates three distinct approaches to building teacher capacity to serve ELs. Scenario one: District provides on-going professional development for all educators of ELs. These professional development sessions include whole group, one-on-one, coaching, modeling strategies, working with content area teachers and team leaders, administrators and guidance counselors. EL staff members are coached to serve as leaders within their assigned schools. Schools, staff and students are arranged by priority with an emphasis on areas of need. Data is used to analyze student progress and instructional models implemented throughout the district (e.g., co-teaching, small group, block scheduling etc.). Parents of ELs are invited to district wide meetings that inform them of standards and assessments related to their child’s academic success. Teachers attend and participate in national, regional and local professional development offerings. Candid conversations are a regular part of the district’s capacity to serve ELs. Is what we are doing working? If not, what else do we need to do? Highlighted is the sense of responsibility for ELs by all educators and the need for more certified teachers who are prepared to teach and advocate for linguistically diverse learners. Scenario two: District provides professional development for selected educators. Professional development focuses on "the basics" of teaching ELs. Who students are, how they are identified, classes they take, how to communicate with parents, etc. Teachers are partly viewed as messengers who are to take information back to their schools and reiterate information. The focus is on assuring that everyone receives the same information and who to go to for help. Pressing needs regarding (a) administrators with a lack of depth of knowledge for serving ELs who look to teachers for guidance (b) teacher turnover (c) outdated program models, "we’ve always done it this way" and (d) a perception of ELs as "us" vs. "them" and staying compliant. Teachers do not attend professional development outside of the district and rely on what others can bring in or forward to them via email. Educators feel overwhelmed by the responsibility to effectively serve ELs. They mainly work in isolation or don’t feel autonomous as practitioners to do what’s best for students. For example, when the English language arts teacher wants the EL teacher to help a newcomer ELs prepare for a quiz when in fact the teachers didn’t work together to plan the curriculum. Highlighted here is the functioning in the default mode of doing enough to get by, stay out of trouble and not cause any waves. Representatives may serve as the go-to person for their schools but no real sense of shared responsibility is established. Scenario three: Leadership has changed a number of times and teachers are literally "doing their own thing." Smatterings of highlights are apparent here depending upon the teacher’s sense of efficacy. Some teachers have an extensive background in second language acquisition, are vocal about student and parent needs, want to hold the district accountable and be part of that process. Other teachers are new to the profession, career changers or counting down until retirement. They focus more on administrative side of teaching instead of the individual needs of their students, especially ELs. Student achievement is boiled down to who is passing, completing their home, is an overall good student and who is not. No discussion around teacher quality, EL program models or parent involvement is ever considered. Highlighted here is a lack of vision and leadership that leaves teachers feeling isolated and powerless. Which setting described above is most similar or different from your teaching context? How can we begin to implement and sustain professional development models that focus on developing teachers as leaders and advocates for ELs? How do ELs benefit or suffer based upon professional development initiatives adopted by their districts? Summer learning is great time to re-evaluate professional development plans and implement more activities that support teachers as leaders. Participating in Training-of-trainers, independent studying, taking online courses, professional reading with colleagues and engaging in conversations before the start of a new school year are just some ways to build teacher capacity to serve ELs. Ayanna Cooper is an advocate and author for culturally and linguistically diverse learners. She is a co-author of Evaluating ALL teachers of English learners and students with disabilities: Supporting great teaching and has contributed to WIDA publications such as the Essential Actions Handbook. She has held positions as an English as a second language teacher, ELL instructional coach, urban education teacher supervisor and ELL/Title III director. If you enjoyed this article, join SmartBrief’s email list for more stories about education. We offer newsletters covering educational leadership, math education and more. Related Posts: No Related Posts Teachers as leaders: Building capacity to serve ELs originally published by SmartBlogs

Accountability became a management fad in the early 2000s. Unfortunately, in most organizations, accountability has become a hollow and empty slogan that evokes cynicism and sarcasm. People often wave the "A" word around when they want others to get things done or, more commonly, when they are frustrated with others for not getting things done. The intention behind the concept of accountability has always been to create an environment that allows people to be clear and honest about what they will deliver, rise above challenging circumstances to overcome obstacles, and substitute excuses with relentless action that achieves great results. Unfortunately, in most organizations, people turned accountability into something unattractive and disempowering. In most companies, when people say: "They need to take accountability!" they often mean: "They need to deliver or bear the consequences." And, by "bear the consequences" they usually mean "be punished" or, more specifically, "be fired." In fact in many organizations, accountability is referred to as "single throat to choke." Would you be excited to volunteer to be that throat? Webster’s doesn’t help, either. Its definition of accountability is: "Liability to be called on to render an account; the obligation to bear the consequences for failure to perform as expected." Accountability was meant to represent a positive, empowering and productive space, encouraging people at all levels to believe in the cause, feel personally compelled to go out of their way to drive results and behave as if they are the owners of the business. Accountability comes from the phrase "You can count on me." That statement is a self-proclamation. It stems from and evokes the sentiments of privilege and opportunity, not obligation and/or liability. However, when people view accountability as a burden or a liability, it provokes fear. When fearful people play it safe, they don’t speak up, they don’t take risks and they protect themselves. When things go wrong they are quick to excuse themselves and blame others. So, how do you create an environment of authentic and effective accountability? Here are five practical things you can start doing tomorrow: Engage people early on in setting the goals. In a small team, it is easy to engage people in the strategy or goal-setting exercise. In a large organization, this principle has to be implemented in steps. First: get the senior team engaged and aligned. Second: bring the middle managers on board. And third: update and engage the rest of the team. Help people feel engaged in setting the goals and they will feel a sense of personal ownership and accountability toward them. Promote a culture of authentic and courageous communication. When people feel they can speak their mind, especially about what is not working, they naturally feel and behave like loyal owners of the business. People will only speak up if they believe their leaders genuinely want that. So, demonstrate that you are open to honest dialogue, including feedback and criticism about yourself. Instill the language of accountability. In an environment of compliance, people tend to indulge in excuses, complaints, blaming others and negative conversations. The language of accountability is all about clarity and action. Promote a culture where people make clear requests and promises and others respond with acceptances, declines or counter-offers. This will foster transparency and integrity versus lip service. Deal with failures in an empowering way. In most organizations, when there is failure, people tend to look for someone or something to blame. People react to that by hiding, protecting their behinds, even lying. As a result, teams often don’t get to the root cause of their failures, so they repeat them. Instead, ask your team questions like: "What was missing?" "What got in our way?" "What can we learn from this?" and "What can we change, correct and improve?" People will want to contribute in order to create breakthroughs. This will strengthen their sense of ownership and accountability. Highlight and recognize displays of accountability. People respond extremely well to genuine recognition. However, most leaders don’t do a great job — formally or spontaneously — recognizing their team members for a job well done. Recognition makes people feel noticed, appreciated and valued. This causes them to want to contribute even more. Go out of your way, as a daily practice, to recognize small, medium or large displays of ownership and accountability. Any strategy or plan is only as good as people’s relationship with it. When you create a genuine environment of accountability it compels people at all levels to establish a powerful relationship to their company or team’s strategy or plan. In the words of Margaret Mead: "Never underestimate the power of a few committed people to change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." Gershon Mader is founder and president of Quantum Performance, a management consulting firm specializing in generating total alignment and engagement in organizations. He is an expert on transformational leadership, strategic commitment, mergers, acquisitions, getting employees aligned for change, as well as the co-author of "The Power of Strategic Commitment," a best-seller covering his work with over 60,000 people. If you enjoyed this article, join SmartBrief’s e-mail list for our daily newsletter on being a better, smarter leader. Related Posts: Leadership accountability — a positive, simple approach 10 ways to engage your best millennial talent Busting 3 employee-engagement myths Leaders shouldn’t ignore their employees’ dreams Should you be committed? Getting employees to take accountability originally published by SmartBlogs

This post is sponsored by Drexel University Corporate networks are under attack. Recent headlines indicate security thieves are stepping up their game and getting more sophisticated with their approaches. Is your IT desk ready? In this Q&A, Steven Weber, director of the Drexel University Cybersecurity Institute, details the threats challenging today’s networks and why organizations need to invest in IT professionals trained in cybersecurity. Can you give us a big-picture view of the state of cybersecurity in the world today? What are the biggest threats to us today? What new risks have emerged? Cybersecurity has emerged as a top priority for governments, industry, and individuals. We all live and work in an online world in which our privacy is vulnerable and the security of our data is uncertain. The stakes are higher than ever, with a significant portion of the world economy depending upon online services, and as a consequence the sophistication, dedication, and intensity of the attacks by bad agents (from lone individuals to coordinated efforts by nation states) has increased significantly. Unfortunately the odds are tilted in the attacker’s favor: There is a long-recognized asymmetry in the return on investment between the attacker and defender. That is, a small investment by an attacker may net an enormous gain — such as a successful data breach — while a significant investment by a defender will net (at best) no loss to the company. Many computer experts still identify people as the biggest security vulnerability, meaning an attacker seeking access to a corporation will first exploit an employee’s susceptibility to a spear-phishing attack before attempting more sophisticated attacks. Individuals in an online world must learn "cyberhygiene" for their own security, the security of the companies that employ them and the safety of their country. October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM), and the intent is for individuals to recognize the critical role we each play in cyberdefense. We’ve seen a number of large-scale, high-profile breaches in recent years, notably Sony, Target and Adobe. Are certain industries particularly vulnerable? The old chestnut goes that there are two types of companies: those that have been hacked and those that don’t know they have been hacked. Any company using a computer that is connected to a network is vulnerable to attack. How important is it for companies to invest in IT professionals with specific training in cybersecurity? What’s the job demand look like for cybersecurity specialists? Many companies I speak with have a longstanding recognition by now of the need to invest in cybersecurity professionals. The difficulty is that these individuals are in high demand and short supply. My hope is that this supply gap will be closed as high-school students and college students recognize security as an interesting, dynamic, and important career path, with job security and competitive compensation. At Drexel University, we offer a variety of on-campus and online educational programs, including certificates, undergraduate degree programs and master’s programs. For example, Drexel has an online master’s in Cybersecurity and National Security Management, bachelor’s in Computing and Security Technology, and graduate certificates in Homeland Security, Intelligence, and Cybersecurity, Law and Policy. Students should also be aware of the Cybercorps: Scholarships for Service (SFS) program, where the U.S. government will give scholarships to talented students earning cybersecurity-oriented degrees at qualified institutions. In exchange, the student will agree to work in the government for a certain number of years. What skills do these security experts need to have? The skillset for cybersecurity professionals has evolved from its roots where the hacker was someone with a deep knowledge of network protocols and cryptography. Today, cybersecurity as a field encompasses an incredibly diverse ecosystem of related fields and skills including signal processing, criminology, data science, psychology, hardware design, sociology, machine learning and many others. It is a very exciting field because it is intersects with so many disciplines. Cybersecurity today is a team sport. Related Posts: No Related Posts How strong is your IT security desk? originally published by SmartBlogs

(Photo: Public Domain Images) For many Americans, snacks are now the most important meal of the day, and busy lifestyles necessitate snacking options that can be consumed on-the-go with little to no preparation. Health is also a top priority, and more shoppers are looking for portion-controlled foods made without preservatives or artificial ingredients. To answer the call, food companies are turning their attention to a new kind of super-snack. All-natural, nutrient-dense, ready-to-eat and, in some cases, pre-wrapped in its own natural packaging, fruits and vegetables are the answer to Americans’ snack demands. The idea of fruits and vegetables as a convenient, healthy snack is obviously nothing new, but by looking at fruits and vegetables in fresh ways and approaching them with a marketer’s eye, major food companies are changing the way consumers approach healthy snacking. Fruits and vegetables were "relatively unbranded up to this point, but we’ve gotten to a place where having brands move into that category makes sense," said Laurie Demeritt, CEO of The Hartman Group. In some cases, branded fruit and vegetable products are nearly identical to unbranded versions, but being sold under a brand name is a symbol of quality, Demeritt said. Brand loyalty is still a driving force behind many purchases, and companies are finding way to transfer the idea to fresh produce. One of the first examples of branded produce was introduced by California citrus farmer Tom Mullholland, whose Mulholland Citrus company began marketing an extremely sweet variety of tangerines in the 1990’s under the brand name Delite. Imitators followed, including Sun Pacific, which sells the same variety of tangerines under the brand name Cuties. Children are an obvious target market for fruit and vegetable marketing, and Cuties have become a household name, known for the slogan "Kids love Cuties. Because Cuties are made for kids." Many of the other branded fruit and vegetable products on the market have a kid-friendly angle, such as Bolthouse Farms Kids Veggie Snackers — carrot sticks packaged with a shake-on seasoning — or Crunch Pak’s Dipperz line of apple slices and carrots with dips. Crunch Pak also offers a Snackers line geared toward more adult palates, with apple slices paired with salty items such as cheese and pretzels. Adult consumers "say they are consuming fresh fruits and veggies more often," Demeritt said, citing a Hartman Group survey in which consumers said 50% of their total eating occasions were snacks, and the number one snack consumed was fruit. Brands are finding innovative ways to make fruit and vegetable snacks even more convenient for consumers. In its November 2014 report "What America Eats: Paradigms Shaping Food Choices," Packaged Facts mentions advances in vending technology that allow for fresh foods. "Companies such as Cool Vending and Fresh Healthy Vending are opening up the vending machine concept beyond soda and junk food. Temperature-controlled units allow both prepared and perishable foods to be dispensed — which increases snack variety, including healthy options such as fruit, yogurt, low-fat cheese sticks, cut vegetables and hummus," the report states. These types of vending solutions and pre-cut formulations are making fruit and vegetable options every bit as convenient as traditional packaged snack foods. And companies are giving these options an advantage in another way — marketing. Traditional branded snack foods have a long history of marketing campaigns with bright colors, catchy slogans and alluring mascots and spokespeople that are extremely effective at drawing in consumers. Now fruits and vegetables are starting to get the same treatment. Avocados from Mexico made history during the most recent Super Bowl broadcast by being the first produce brand to run an ad during the big game. The company is a partner of the FNV marketing campaign, which launched during the Partnership for a Healthier America Summit in March. The project applies traditional marketing practices to products such as beets and carrots, matching them up with colorful illustrations and cheeky slogans. "FNV knows that marketing works and if it works for cars and laptops and Edison light bulbs, why can’t it work for fruits and veggies? But it’s our partners’ support that will allow us to put this strategy to work. Their resources are secondary to their insight of the market, their own marketing savvy and their leadership. FNV is nowhere without them," said PHA Chief Marketing Officer Drew Nannis. In addition to Avocados from Mexico, FNV partners with Bolthouse Farms, Sweetgreen and the Produce Marketing Association, among others. Its list of celebrity spokespeople includes a bevy of actors and athletes, from Jessica Alba to John Cena. "Our tactics aren’t new — it’s the goal of those tactics that’s new. Out-of-home, digital, sponsorships, community engagement … all of it. All driving toward one goal: increased consumption and sales of fruits and veggies. Fruits and Veggies is a brand now. Buckle up," Nannis said. __________________________________________________ If you enjoyed this article, join SmartBrief’s email list for more stories about the food and beverage industry. We offer 14 newsletters covering the industry from restaurants to food manufacturing.   Related Posts: CPG companies, first lady agree healthy is the new norm Q&A with Jeff Dunn, CEO of Bolthouse Farms, on the Campbell acquisition, trends and what’s on the horizon Brands cater to healthier kids’ snacking trends How food companies are helping kids make healthier choices 3 ways you are being "fooled" into better health Food brands turn to fruits and vegetables to satisfy consumers’ snack cravings originally published by SmartBlogs

I define leadership presence as the "right stuff of leadership," and, by doing so, I embrace a holistic concept. By that definition, presence encompasses conviction, authority and power — and the application of them through a leader’s actions and words. You might consider presence as defined by three verbs: be, do, review. Leadership embraces activism; it is the outcome of a purposeful pursuit of goals. Presence gives the leader the wherewithal — authority and resilience — to battle the odds and endure through being, doing, and reflecting. Click here to view the embedded video.   John Baldoni is chair of leadership development at N2Growth, is an internationally recognized leadership educator and executive coach. In 2014, Trust Across America named him to its list of top 100 most trustworthy business experts. Also in 2014, Inc.com named Baldoni to its list of top 100 leadership experts, and Global Gurus ranked him No. 11 on its list of global leadership experts. Baldoni is the author of more than a dozen books, including his newest, "MOXIE: The Secret to Bold and Gutsy Leadership." If you enjoyed this article, join SmartBrief’s e-mail list for our daily newsletter on being a better, smarter leader. Related Posts: Good values spark good customer service The art of the sound bite A-C-T your way to receiving feedback Confident leaders invite dissent Resilience: Your tool for success 3 steps to executive presence originally published by SmartBlogs

SmartBlog on Education will highlight summer learning and enrichment for educators during June. In this blog post, educator Cheryl Mizerny shares insights from her quest to navigate all the professional development options available today. As a naturally reflective person and educator, I am on a never-ending quest to design the "just right" English class experience for my students. Unfortunately, I am becoming convinced that no such animal exists, as I realize that it is the end of the school year, and I haven’t accomplished everything I had planned. Worse, I am growing weary of striving for perfection. I’ve been trying for several years and have not yet found the magic formula that will allow me to address everything. I wish to teach it in a mere 45 minutes per day. I have tried every new idea that sounds exciting to me, but it is always at the expense of something else I’ve loved teaching in the past. Is the "just right" class a reality or a fairy tale? Here’s my problem: I am addicted to professional literature and development. I want my students to love literature like Penny Kittle’s do, to write as much as Kelly Gallagher’s, become life-long pleasure readers like Donalyn Miller’s, and to enjoy active engagement strategies from Dave Burgess and Jeff Wilhelm. I have read all of their work and had the pleasure of meeting most in person. I am simultaneously inspired by their ideas and insecure that I will never be able to measure up. I also attempt to go to at least one national literacy conference per year. I consider these endeavors successful if I can gather one new strategy, concept, or resource from each session. This doesn’t even include the fantastic ideas I get from weekly Twitter chats. Trouble is, these add up. Every single experience yields at least one great technique I want to implement the very next day. At this point, I have an extensive list of approaches I’ve tried — all of which produced great results. The problem is that I struggle to incorporate all of them in one school year, and have never once done so. Here are some of the things I learned from the greats and loved doing with my students: Genius Hour PBL Reading/writing workshop Book clubs Article of the Week Independent, choice reading Whole-class novel study Student blogging Book talks Read alouds Debates TED-style talks Author visits Community service and many more The difficulty is that I haven’t found a way to do everything in the short amount of time I am given, but I don’t know how to prioritize what to eliminate. I get frustrated because I know all of these add value, but whole-class novels (the foundation for my school’s curriculum), choice reading, and writing workshop are my non-negotiables, so I have to cut things that are not part of this trifecta such as read alouds. I know this is not good, especially when I hear experts I respect tell me how they could not imagine an English class without read alouds. I nod because I know the research backs up this practice, and I would love to share this experience with my students, so I try to find a way to put it back in the mix. Unfortunately, it means I must forgo something else. Thus begins the cycle of beating myself up for not being able to do everything I want and need to do in my class. Whenever I get down on myself, I pull one of my favorite books out of my professional library and sit down hoping for some sort of magical inspiration. This never works. I usually end up becoming more discouraged because I want my class to look like that in the text — every single day. Yet, it doesn’t, and probably never will. I, like all teachers, have to function under the parameters of my current teaching situation. For me, my limitation is that I have 45 minutes per day with my students to teach them reading, writing, speaking and listening. No small feat, indeed. In an effort to cheer myself up, I remind myself that we all have challenging teaching situations. Many middle-school teachers have much longer classes than mine — some are even double in length. True, they have their own constraints and obstacles, but I know that I could do so much more just going from 45 to just 60 minute class periods. I can’t foresee a time in the near future when I will miraculously have all the time in the world with my students, so I keep trying to get the porridge to just the right temperature. Logic then enters and also helps ease my mind. I tell myself that most of the authors I read focus primarily on the topic in their writing and often don’t wish to include every other great idea out there because they have been incredibly successful with their own methods. They have one passion and they are great at it. Sure, I would love to be Penny Kittle and do equal justice to both reading and writing in my classroom, but I am not her, nor do I have her situation. The best I can do is to incorporate the portions of her brilliance that I can, and forgive myself for what I cannot. I guess that is the key. I have to be okay with being the best teacher possible within the parameters I am given. And I have a pretty fabulous teaching situation right now. The only thing that would allow me to make it "just right" would be having more time. I eventually find solace in the fact that many of the other great teachers I know are in the same boat and also fret over not being able to squeeze in every great idea. Many of us communicate on Twitter and try to put our brains together and figure it out. We haven’t yet, but I am relieved that I am not the only teacher who loses sleep over trying to be better. So, while comforted, I remain frustrated searching for the perfect balance of activities. I may never achieve Goldilocks status in my classes, but I will continue to try. In the interim, I will keep utilizing the wisdom of others and refining my own practice. I may eventually get to the point where I have a structure with which I am completely satisfied — but I doubt it. It’s part of the quest for the classroom fairy tale. Cheryl Mizerny is an Editor’s Choice Content Award winner. She is a veteran educator with over 20 years experience. She began her career in special education, became a teacher consultant and adjunct professor of educational psychology, and currently teaches sixth-grade English in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. She writes a blog about student motivation and engagement at The Accidental English Teacher. If you enjoyed this article, join SmartBrief’s email list for more stories about education. We offer newsletters covering educational leadership, special education and more. Related Posts: Retreat to advance The serious business of classroom fun Is tech helping you work smarter? The world is my audience Evolution of the "good" teacher Channeling Goldilocks: Trying to get it "just right" originally published by SmartBlogs