Women and Equality-Is it a Man's World???

Departing from the business articles, this is the day to send you a coaching article and put on another hat! Let's get started! 

As an older woman,  years have assured me that I have evolved and believe that I have a voice. That does not mean that I need to be an activist externally but I can influence people by my behavior. Think about that! Persuasion does not just belong to males. Some millennials get the picture! Influence can change your view of the world. You can either be influenced by those who continuously intend to instill their views over and over until you are powerless to make statements of your own. Or, you can accept the challenge of speaking your honest thoughts about what you believe in. Women have been too submissive and now is the time to lead not follow. Stand up and recognize that you have power. Come out of the shadows and stop idolizing those who have, for years, kept you from listening to reality. 

Males have much more confidence and know that they have always had their hands on the target .  Having three male children, who are adults, gives me license to tell you they have climbed up their career ladders. They know how to persevere and compete. But what I will tell you is that they were raised as independent individuals. That means, above all things, that they respect their wives and females in general. 

Women, in general, are great decision makers but often do not step out and prove it. They play second fiddle to their male supervisors. Clearly, some change is taking place. More females are standing up for their rights. 

Fortunately, there are females in powerful positions, who are the models for success and new innovations. The Women's March was just the beginning of a movement far superior to any other. Do not blindly set it aside as poor losers but as an honest message to all those who believe in democracy. 

Women, shake off the chains that have bound you for years. Males, give your female counterparts the benefit of the doubt. This is the time to come together and join with each other. Respect all people's ideas and march forward. 

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Gloria M. Reiske is an MSW, LCSW with more than thirty years experience in education, administration, social work, and coaching. She has authored many articles and is published in local media, having written a men and grief manual for training purposes throughout Virginia and an article for children and grief. Email her at gloriareiske@blogspot.com and check out this article on Facebook.

Humility is not to be paraded

When one is humble, it is a given through research that one knows his/her strengths and weaknesses. Exposure to both does not make a person anything but real and not afraid of stating a voice or being subject to criticism. The individual who is humble is often a leader and someone who influences others by being honestly fair.

In today's world, many individuals seem to be constantly wanting praise and ignoring what matters most; compassion and empathy. What we might consider are those who are genuinely struggling, not those who continually exploit the system.

Corporate heads tend to dismiss those who cannot buy stocks, get a huge salary, but they continue to live the grand life. Disregard for those in need is very telling of a world destined to be subject to more narcissism than humility.

Leadership and humility go hand and glove. Think about the bosses you have worked for who really have helped you to become well trained and stood by you as you succeed or not. They are well disciplined and accept you as you are, and when you do not live up to performance expectations, a second chance is always available. If you ignore that chance, you are relieved of your job through your own will.



Regardless of the criticism that may ensue, leaders who succeed are thought of as honest and real. That is known as a boss who clearly knows herself or himself, one who is direct and doesn't play games with people's livelihood.
When you rise to the occasion of motivation and new ideas, all employees are influenced by a good leader who accepts all ideas by the staff. Even though the Ideas may not be relevant to the situation at all times, good leaders attempt to resolve issues by continuous and motivational influence. Employees then believe they are part of the organization. That is one way to encourage a partnership that is lasting for the long run. It keeps recidivism to an all time low and employees who feel they have some ownership of their company.

Even though humility in leadership is a great attribute, one needs to self-reflect and explore all the ways that projects can be improved. This is generally done through feedback from the team. Mistakes are made and humbly asking the team for their interpretation of those errors stands to give you honest opinions that eventually gives leaders more self-confidence and employees a strong belief in transparency.

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Gloria M. Reiske is an MSW, LCSW with more than thirty years experience in education, administration, social work, and coaching. She has authored many articles and is published in local media, having written a men and grief manual for training purposes throughout Virginia and an article for children and grief. Email her at gloriareiske@blogspot.com and check out this article on Facebook.

Earning and Learning!

Being in a status quo mode won't get you a greater earning power. Every article and book I read gives me the impression that one does not grow without constant learning. In my case, if I did not read or research topics of interest, the lightbulb ideas that you are concerned with would have no foundation. The articles I write about are current and real life opinions that you generate.

Changing to a different position is not easy but if you are fulfilling your passion and taking a chance the other side of the coin is better for your career then step up to the plate. Everything we do requires practice and sometimes months and years of learning something new. Circumstances are often the momentum that carries you to a different level. Are you ready to continue to grow, learn and take the chance that propels you to a more positive place in your life? Ask yourself if you have viewed your life in the past and believe that your work history is satisfactory to your needs.

When I was about 50 years old, I took the chance to complete my master's and it definitely changed my life for the better. For years I served others in volunteer positions, but when I was able to get a higher degree in social services, then I was able to step forward and serve others in a professional way. If you are at the crossroad of your life, think seriously about your future and how you can benefit yourself and your family. Not everyone will see your changes as positive, but the influence comes from you, not anyone else.

With a strong support system, friends and family will encourage your decisions and walk beside you. Earning is not always about finances, it is about what you can legitimately and actively be prepared to live by, not how much you make. Learning is about being prepared to undertake many avenues through your experience and knowledge and continued preparation that may come your way.

You can often educate yourself each day and build your support system through cohorts, community efforts, and exposure to new undertakings. Sometimes you can utilize your own workplace as a path to more and more success. If you cannot find the right fit for yourself choose another path.

Earning and learning is the central part of this article. Therefore, now is the time for you to seriously look in the mirror and stop seeing a fog. Keep a clear view of your values, your integrity and your focus. Being satisfied in a position that you dislike because it is comfortable and pays the bills, is not always in service of yourself.
The argument here from those who are not willing to think out of the box, tells me you are not keeping step with the current opportunities.

Perhaps taking a chance with your future is about the influence of others. Perhaps you need to have a voice. After all this is your life whether you share it with others or not.

Take time to quietly be alone with your thoughts and make a decision that matters to you.

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Gloria M. Reiske is an MSW, LCSW with more than thirty years experience in education, administration, social work, and coaching. She has authored many articles and is published in local media, having written a men and grief manual for training purposes throughout Virginia and an article for children and grief. Email her at gloriareiske@blogspot.com and check out this article on Facebook.

Mission - What is it?

For years I have been writing articles which are controversial, educating and current. Today, I decided to expand my support system and think seriously about my mission. I write because I believe in the content and value of my articles. But, although I ask for feedback, I get a trickle of response. Therefore, today will be my change day.


My mission will be: Today will be used for present revelations. Today is the present and what I do will be practical. Today I will share with others what is meaningful to many people everywhere. Today I will measure the impact that my articles have on others.

My mission statement is clearly in the evolvement stage. This is it: Today is realizing that actions speak louder than words. Today is sharing positive ideas that are achievable. Today I will seek to influence and serve others.

My values are: principles-respect-family-friends-leadership. My vision is to be a voice for those who come together to unite and join those who, each day, add value to others.

Regardless of what you perceive to be helpful through my writings, take time to read them and give me your wise feedback.

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Gloria M. Reiske is an MSW, LCSW with more than thirty years experience in education, administration, social work, and coaching. She has authored many articles and is published in local media, having written a men and grief manual for training purposes throughout Virginia and an article for children and grief. Email her at gloriareiske@blogspot.com and check out this article on Facebook.

Purpose and what it says about your life!

Someone asked me what the purpose of my life has been for thirty years. It is a daunting question. Each step I took was dotted with process and then goals. Training, learning and reading were the overseers that triggered most of my life as a Mother,  an Administrator and Educator. Did my life have purpose? From the time that I was a young girl, from a small town in Massachusetts, I knew that my family had my back. But, when I became an adult, moved away from my secure support system, for a time I had to depend on my own support system, build new relationships and take on responsibilities that required serious decisions. Those were the years when I quickly learned that not everyone you meet has your back. My purpose then was to carefully take care of myself, my young family and my husband. Soon my naïveté was transformed into the harshness of reality.

Dennis Waitly said that "Purpose is the engine that triggers your life". Looking at your life and your accomplishments, can you honestly say that you have always had a genuine purpose? The answer to that question is a huge, NO. We change locations, jobs, and relationships. All this keeps us developing and adjusting and acclimating. We cannot say that we are the same person today that we were over the years.

Today, we need to be humble enough to know that we can define our ego, not by constant praise but by servicing others. Some of us will live out our lives in the circumference of a small circle and some of us will expand our circle to include those less fortunate than ourselves. That is what I call having a real purpose in life.

To the point, perhaps there is a need to have less naive belief in what a company's mission is if it does not have a firm, moral view. Recently, I had lunch with an experienced administrator who was aghast at the changes of a major insurance company. As I processed this information, it was obvious that these changes, in the positive,  should have been made many months ago. It will affect a whole program that has existed without proper monitoring.

There is something more important than the tragic events of the present. To lead your life with the knowledge that everything is destroyed, will you feed on the blind information that is brainwashing your daily lives? Will you take a more positive stance and foresee the plans that may move us forward? The latter, in my view, is your purpose and you might want to focus on it.

Your life is very important and so are your young, upcoming sons and daughters. Give them the voices that could be different than yours, but listen to their concerns. Forget your influence and give them the freedom they deserve.
Purpose is defined as a target, an aim, a goal. What is your purpose in life? This is not the time to be quiet and simply go on day-by-day without a purpose.

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Gloria M. Reiske is an MSW, LCSW with more than thirty years experience in education, administration, social work, and coaching. She has authored many articles and is published in local media, having written a men and grief manual for training purposes throughout Virginia and an article for children and grief. Email her at gloriareiske@blogspot.com and check out this article on Facebook.

Want to be a CEO? (Diversity, Knowledge, Experience, Relationships)

Wherever you are in your career stop and look carefully at your past history. Some people have little knowledge about their preparation to be the one who is qualified to lead a company. In your career have you diversified your knowledge of the functional parts of a company?  

Perhaps you were offered the top position because you had potential and only some knowledge of what it takes to be CEO. If you were flattered by the offer yet knowing that you were not qualified, you accepted the position. Certainly, you will have a moonlight period but six or nine months down the road you are floundering and are not certain of your decisions. Nevertheless, you carry on as though you know what you are doing. Either you will be asked to resign, or get fired, and that always affects an ego.

Being a CEO is about knowledge, diversity, experience, relationships and if you lack these qualities, start where you are and climb the ladder. Many of us took positions we learned from and moved into positions step-by-step. This means building relationships, professional development, and gaining diversified experience in many arenas. All this is not accomplished in one day, one week, one year but over a reasonable period of time. It may mean educating yourself and being in positions that help you reach your goal.

As a young professional, there were times that I was put in a tenuous position. Therefore, I depended on those who had expertise in various topics and consulted authors who researched the topics that were unfamiliar to me. To this day, I consult with those who have the experience, knowledge and relationships that lead me to making good decisions. Build your support system and you will always have someone who has your back.

Being a CEO is far from being a walk in the park, and be realistic about your knowledge of the facts. Are you ready to take on the many issues that confront companies each day? Do you know what they might be? Let me give you a thumbnail sketch of those issues. Often the bottom line are finances and maintaining the revenue and increasing that revenue is paramount to the company surviving. Next and equally important is fulfilling the mission of the company. This involves topics like relationships, experience, knowledge of many facts gathered over many months and years. If you are a novice in these areas will you be successful?

Not all CEO's are capable of addressing the above issues and make wrong decisions. The truth of the matter is, it is often a black mark on the company and tends to be the thing that brings down a workable organization.

You may have the potential, but is that enough to project you into a a position that requires discretion and knowledge in many different areas? Trying it out is not like trying out new shoes.
Be true to yourself and do not get tied up in the company's need to fill a position. Your career choices are important and a wrong decision on your part may be the end of your climb to the ladder of success.

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Gloria M. Reiske is an MSW, LCSW with more than thirty years experience in education, administration, social work, and coaching. She has authored many articles and is published in local media, having written a men and grief manual for training purposes throughout Virginia and an article for children and grief. Email her at gloriareiske@blogspot.com and check out this article on Facebook.

Chart your own course!

I'm in the process of reading David Brooks book, "The Road to Character" and it is both historical and current. It is very provocative and talks about how we function and how we conduct our lives.

It is quite apparent that over time we have evolved from believing that we are self-effacing, soothing and gracious to self-promoting, fragile, and jarring as Brooks has so aptly written. Adolescents that I know are either less than humble, fostered by parents and supporters, or service oriented and often doing for others and joining charitable causes. Those whose limited understanding of humility in adolescent years stoked by family and friends, choose to flatter and fawn them through adulthood. If that is the case, you are certain to have self-promoting individuals who are blind to the global issues of the day.

What we hear about these days is division, dilemmas, and more, but where are those who firmly believe that we are a nation of great character, externally and internally? There are those in my family who respect each other and fully understand what it means to be self-effacing. These people are in the majority. Why? We don't hear enough about their good deeds but we do hear about the erraticism of the self-promoting.

Remember that self-promoting often means you are pounding your chest in service of yourself. While you are charting your course believe that you are self-effacing. Joshua Marine wrote, "Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful".

If this sounds like riddles, read the words carefully. Once you are in your first, second or third job are you considering another job? If so, will you chart your course according to your needs or is it about what you think you know. That is a serious point and when you make your final decision do not be influenced by new money in your eyes. You can argue that you want a better life that you can indulge in but is all this worth the effort.

What are you missing? Here is the fact! You are missing time with family and friends, a time to cherish and you never get it back. Not all promotions or job changes are in service of all, but chart your course and be true to yourself.

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Gloria M. Reiske is an MSW, LCSW with more than thirty years experience in education, administration, social work, and coaching. She has authored many articles and is published in local media, having written a men and grief manual for training purposes throughout Virginia and an article for children and grief. Email her at gloriareiske@blogspot.com and check out this article on Facebook.