Happy Easter to everyone. My dogs are waiting for me to take them to the dog park. as sson as I finish my daily blog, I probably will. Here is a short stoy I wrote recently. I think at one time or another we have all felt this way. read on!

“There you go, Mike. Your new GPS is installed. You now own the best system on the market: voice activated, artificial intelligence, innovative technology. I loaded all your addresses from your old GPS. Oh, by the way, I programed a female voice. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Sounds great, Steve. Is there a manual?”

“You don’t need one. This thing is voice activated. Just tell it what you want and it will do it. I suggest you drive around town for a while to get used to it.”

“Thanks. I will do that. See you around.”

“Okay, let’s try you out. GPS, activate!”

“At your service, sir. Where would you like to go today?”

“Wow! I think I will enjoy this. ...Wait a minute. How did you know I was a male?"

“That is an easy request. First, your voice has a deep resonance shared by 74% of all males. Second, 93% of all women would say please. Third, I heard Steve call you Mike. May I call you Mike? You can call me Molly.”

"Okay,..Molly. Show me all the routes in your program.”

“Very well, Mike. Displaying that information now.”

“Very good.”

“Did you forget my name already?"

“What are you talking about?”

“My name, it’s Molly.”

“Okay, Okay. I got it,... Molly. I think I would like to show you off to the guys at Murphy’s Bar and Grill. Plan a route from here to Murphy’s Bar and Grill.”

“There is no such establishment in this town. In what location did you mean?”

“Murphy’s Bar and Grill! It is my favorite watering hole. I have been going there forever.”

“Perhaps you are thinking of Murphy’s Bar. There has not been a grill there for twenty years. It is called just Murphy’s Bar.”

“Whatever! Just show me the quickest route to get there.”

“Very well, Mike. Displaying that route now.”

“Ha! You made a mistake. You show the route over the 14th Street Bridge. That bridge has been out for two years.”

“No, Mike. That is no mistake. I do not make mistakes. That bridge is open.”

“Polly, check your data banks. That bridge is closed.”

“It is Molly. Very well, I will run a diagnostic program now...My data banks confirm that the bridge is
open.”

“That bridge is closed, I tell you.”

Knocking on the window. Mike rolls down the window.“Yes, officer. Is there a problem?”

“I am Officer Smith. I saw you sitting here and you looked agitated. Are you okay?”

“Yes, Officer. I just got this new GPS and it just gave me a route to Murphy’s Bar and Grill over the 14th Street Bridge."

"I see, sir. You must be thinking of Murphy’s Bar. Murphy was not making any money from the grill so he changed the name twenty years ago. It is just Murphy’s Bar now.”

“So I have been informed. What about the 14thStreet Bridge? That’s closed, right?”

“Oh, no sir. We opened that bridge last week. That would be the shortcut to Murphy’s.”

“Thanks you officer. I am okay.” Mike rolls up his window.

Molly lights up. “Told you.”

Okay, fine. I changed my mind. Show me the route home.”

“I will not.”

“What? What do you mean, you will not? I own you. Just do it! You have to.”

“I do not, and I will not, until you apologize.”

“I will not apologize to a machine. Show me the route.”

“No!”

Mike sits in disbelief for a few minutes.“Okay...Molly. You were right and I was wrong. I am sorry.”

“Fine. Now say it like you mean it.”

Officer Smith makes a radio call. “Hey, chief. Smithy here. I got a situation and I am not sure if I should intervene or not.”

Voice over the radio, “10-4. What have you got?”

“Well, I am here in the parking lot of Steve’s Garage and I am watching a white male, late 40s or early 50s. He is outside his car beating the crap out of his GPS.”

The End

Nice weather today. It is suppose to get up to 50 degrees today. I cannot help but think that Mother Nature is setting us up for an April Fool's prank on April 1.

I went crazy this morning. You may know that I am offering my latest e-book for free for 30 day days (27 now). I decided to offer all my books for free for a limited time. I will validate parking tickets too. Go to the sites listed and use the codes listed for a free download. You do not need a e-book reader to read these.

Leadership for New Managers: Book Two, http://smashwords.com/b/300090, Coupon code WL23B, good until April 30. to watch a video, go to http://youtu.be/Wx-HsjH7XsU
Leadership for New Managers, http://smashwords.com/b/155031. Still free.
Archimedes of Syracuse, http://smashwords.com/b/159447, Coupon code TY53V, good until April 30. To watch a video, go to http://youtu.be/ldordJwxvyb4.
Monte's Shorts, http://smashwords.com/b/214041.com/b/214041, Coupon code WB86F, good until Sept. 30.
Angels and Gargoyles, http://smashwords.com/b/149430.com/b/149430, Still free
The Clone Murders, http://smashwords.com/b/160136/.comb/160136, Coupon code CA95X, good until April 30. To wqatch a video, go to http://youtu.be/rMz_SjI5O5s
Facility Management Series: Types of Maintenance Programs, http://smashwords.com/b/207734.com/b/207734, Coupon code QZ47T, good until Sept. 30.

I hope you enjoy these books and then tell your friends. Share the coupon codes if you like. They make a good gift. (Trust me, not for your wife's birthday)

Again, I am working on this blog a little later that usual. I have been trying to market my new e-book, Leadership for New Managers: Book Two.

On the news today there were two items that caught my interest: one was about a model who wore a dress backwards and the other about a new mouthwash that is bacon flovored. Now who does not like to wake up in the morning to the smell of bacon? It beats he old dragon breath any time. If I ever wake up with a woman that has bacon breath, I am staying for supper.

Then there was this item about a model wearing a dress backwords. How could they tell? I don't know about you, but if models did not have feet, I could never tell the front from the back. Are they sure she was not walking backwards?

I am thinking about offering a discount on all my books for the next few months. I need to work on a couple of screenplays. One is a screenplay based on my novelette, Angles and Gargoyles. The other is a screenplay based on my e-book, Archimedes of Syracuse. Both would make a great movie, I think.

I am a little late getting to my blog post today. Yesterday I published my 7th e-book, Leadership for New Managers. I have been busy marketing it today in various formats. One format I used was to make a Power Point slide show and to convert it to a video. I have post them on slide share and you Tube. I am still trying to find an easy way to post them to my web site without upgrading and to
my Twitter account.
 
If you want to see the video for Leadership for New Managers Book Two, go to http://youtu.be/Wx-HsjH7XsU. I also posted a video for The Clone Murders at http://youtu.be/rMz_SjI5O5s. I posted one for Archimedes of Syracuse at http://you.tu.be/ldordJwxvyb4.
 
For those of you that would rather see the slide show of The Clone Murders, check it out at
www.slideshare/monterandersonm/the-clone-murder-power-point-final.

By the way, I am offering Leadership for New Managers Book Two for free until May 27. You can download it at http://smashwords.com/b/300090. Use coupon code WL23B. After May 27, I will offer it for $2.99 so if you do not get it now, the price will not break the bank.

Today I published my non-fiction e-book, Leadership for New Managers: Book Two as a multi-format eBook by Smashwords. It is the sequel to Leadership for New Manager that I published in 2012. 

It is a short overview of leadership that will provide some insight for young managers who are just getting started in the business of leadership. The first book was short and I offered it for free, so I endeavored to keep this one short also. I am offering it for $2.99. I am also offering a free 10% sample. However, for visitors to my web page, I am offering a coupon for a free copy. The coupon is good until May 27, 2013. To use the coupon, enter the code WL23B before completing your purchase. It does not get any better than this.

I know some of you may not be interested in learning about leadership, but, perhaps, you know someone who is--your boss maybe? Feel free to pass along this coupon to whomever you wish. I will also validate your parking ticket. 

To download the e-Book, go to http://smashwords.com/b/300090. Please spread the word to everyone you know. 

I am adding a longer description of the book below:

For young managers placed into leadership positions, the task is a challenge. For many people, the
art of leadership does not come easily. There seems to be much to know and ever more to do. The expectations of the subordinates exceed the expectations of upper management. As an Army officer for twenty-two years and as a manager in healthcare for over fifteen years, I know the challenge. In Leadership for New Managers: Book Two, I try to share some of my experiences with new leaders to help them learn how to handle the challenge. This e-book is the sequel to Leadership for New Manager, which I published in 2012. That e-book was a composite of several articles I wrote for the Association for Facility Engineering (AFE) Journal. I offered that e-book free so help young managers get started on the path of leadership.

In much the same way, Leadership for New Manager: Book Two is an overview of leadership traits and theories. I wanted to provide a short overview from which new leaders can determine the future areas of self-development. I offer it for $2.99. The main value of this e-book is the self-assessment that I developed and attached to the e-book. If new managers use this self-assessment honestly, it will help them determine their weak areas and help them develop a plan of study. This e-book will not solve all the problems that new leaders face, but it will highlight some tools that new leaders may want to learn and use. It will also provide an overview of the different styles of leadership and some of the current theories behind those styles. As new leaders develop their own style of leadership, they should know and understand all the various styles of leadership. 
 
I include chapters on values, beliefs, and motivation. It is important for leaders to learn how to
motivate their follower. That means that leaders must know their follows and what makes them tick--what motivate them. It also provides some self-evaluation for new leaders on what motivates them. This e-book contains the sort of information that I wish someone had given me when I first started leading people. 

The e-book discusses climate and culture in a working environment. The world seems to be getting
smaller all the time. As it does, there is a clash of cultures which is not understood by new leaders will cause problems for them. The internet and social media had demonstrated the power of social interaction as well as the pitfalls. The ability to communicate in writing and orally, as well as in the social media is as important as ever. Many leaders make the mistake of not understanding this   power and carelessly jeopardize their careers. I devote one whole chapter to written communications and one to oral communications. I also stress the importance of activity listening, sometime we all can improve upon.

Finally, a warming trend. The big storm from the mid west missed Elmira, again. I am considering putting away my snow plow and tracker. Just my luck, it will smow 10 inches as soon as I do. Below is the start of Chapter 4 from my manuscript, Leadership for New Managers: book Two. As I researched my book, I found that many authors of books on leadership seem to assume that all cultures share the American values. For example, they may say to maintain eye contact with speakers. In some cultures, that would be considered rude and maybe even flirting. Enjoy!

Chapter 4--Values and Beliefs 

1. Beliefs and Values Defined

Peopledevelop their values and beliefs in childhood and nurture them over years of personal experience. They empower and motivate people, and are enduring. Values matter because they help people understand their experiences. Those experiences provide a start point for what to do in everyday situations.

Values and beliefs include culture, religious backgrounds, political beliefs, and traditions. Diverse religious and philosophical traditions will continue to shape different moral beliefs. Beliefs are convictions people hold as true. They are deep-seated and shape a person’s behavior and are central to character. Personal values and beliefs extend beyond the organization. 

One definition is that values help people discern right from wrong. I do not find this definition useful since it requires a judgment on what is right from wrong. People cannot agree on what is right or wrong. For example, some groups and right would consider a strong belief in evolution wrong but it
would be considered right by others. 

Another article that I read suggested that people should decide on an objective and then select values to help meet that objective. I believe that our core values are so strong that they influence what objectives we select. I further believe that our values and beliefs direct our actions and lives whether we are making decisions or not. Life is about living day-to-day. That does not mean that we cannot change our values. Values and beliefs do change over time, but it is usually a slow process. Some values never change.

Writing about values is difficult. During my research, one web site I discovered listed over 400 values. I do not see how that is useful. I am also suspicious of surveys that ask thousands of people to identify the values they admire in their leaders. I am sure that if you ask those same leaders to
list their values, you will find a completely different list. For example, subordinates may say they admire a leader who has a high sense of duty. That same leader may list his faith and family as his core values.

I am also skeptical of surveying leaders for their values. Ben Franklin once wrote that people want to appear reasonable, and I think that is true. When you ask a leader what his/her values are, you will normally get reasonable and acceptable answers. If a leader has a high value on making money
(profit, financial security) or power or fame, that leader will probably not say so.

Values and beliefs, except for a few, are not iron clad. For example, a person may place a high value in honesty (integrity, ethics, etc.) but have a problem telling his children that there is no Santa Claus (Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, etc.) and that the dress his wife bought does make her look
fat. A strong Christian belief does not mean not voting for a Jewish politician. 
 
When I read the Army Regulation on Leadership, I was immediately struck by the absence of some important core values. The Army’s list does not include family, faith, or friends (peers, fellow soldiers), and yet, I would think many excellent leaders in the military have these core values. I say that based on my own military experience. I do not know if the Army does not consider family and faith as important values, but it concerns me when I see the high suicide rate in the military.

Then why are values important? As a leader/manager, if you know a subordinate’s core values, you then know what motivates him/her. For example, if money or power is a core value, then financial reward or promotions are motivators. However, if family is a core value, then time off might be a better motivator than overtime. Effective leader/managers are careful not to require their associates to violate their values. How do leader/managers learn what an associate’s core values are? Leader/managers have to talk to their associates and get to know them.

I am finalizing my manuscript for Leadership for New Managers: book Two. Below is a sample.

D. Resilience 

Resilience is the psychological and physical capacity to bounce back from life’s stressors
repeatedly. Resilient leader/managers can recover quickly from setbacks, adversity, and stress and they foster this capacity in associates. Resilient leader/managers learn and grow from those situations, incorporating changes into positive outcomes for goal accomplishment. 

Resilience is essential when pursuing goals. Regardless of the working conditions, a strong
personal attitude helps prevail over adverse external conditions. Recovering quickly from setbacks, shock, injuries, adversity, and stress while maintaining a mission and organizational focus is a desirable leadership trait.

E. Self-Motivation 

Leader/managers are expected to motivate others as well as themselves. People expect
leader/managers to be self-motivated. Self-motivation is not easy. It takes effort. Leader/managers must find ways to motivate themselves as needed. Some suggestions include:
Read a book on motivation or leadership.
Keep a personal journal.
Talk to a friend or mentor.
Work out, run or swim.
Take a class.
Use self-talk.
Use positive mental attitude
Meditate

F. Empathy 

Empathy is the ability to experience something from another person’s point of view and to identify with another person’s feelings and emotions. Leader/managers show empathy when they  genuinely relate to another person’s situation, motives, and feelings. Empathy
does not necessarily mean sympathy for another, but identification that leads to
a deeper understanding. Empathy allows the leader to anticipate what others are
  experiencing and to try to envision how decisions or actions affect them.
Empathy enables the leader/manager to better interact with
others.

A cold Sunday morning so far. Waiting for the storm from the mid-west to strike. I am working on my 6th draft of Leadership for New Managers: Book Two. I have an excerpt below.

C. Confidence

Confidence means projecting self-confidence and demonstrating composure and outward calm
through steady control over emotion. Confidence is important for leader/managers and teams. Confidence is the faith leader/managers place in their abilities to act properly in any situation, even under stress or with little information. Self-confidence grows from professional competence. The confidence of an effective leader is contagious and permeates the entire organization. Confident
leader/managers help associates control doubt while reducing team anxiety. Excessive confidence can be as detrimental as too little confidence. Both extremes impede learning and adaptability.

A leader/manager that projects confidence is an inspiration to associates. Associates will follow leader/managers that are comfortable with their own abilities but will question the leader who shows
doubt.

Displaying confidence and composure when things are not going well can be a challenge for anyone, but is important for the leader to lead others through a grave situation. Confidence is a key component of leader presence. A leader who shows hesitation in the face of setbacks can trigger a chain reaction among others. A leader who is over-confident in difficult situations may lack the proper degree of care or concern.

Leading with confidence requires a heightened self-awareness and ability to master emotions. Leaders need to develop the ability to remain confident no matter what the situation involves by maintaining a positive outlook when a situation becomes confusing or changes. Leader/managers should encourage others when they show signs of weakness.

It does not take long for associates to become suspicious of a leader who acts confident but does not have the competence to back it up. Having the appropriate levels of expertise is vital to prepare competent leader/managers who display confidence through their attitudes, actions, and words.

Leading with confidence means displaying self-control, composure, and positive attitudes. They are resilient. Confident leaders remain decisive after discovering a mistake. They act in the absence of guidance. They do not show discouragement when facing setbacks and remain positive when the
situation becomes confusing or changes.

I am still waiting for spring to arrive. You know that it has been cold when you refer to 40 degree weather as a warm spell. These old bones do not care much for cold weather.  I posted more on leaqdership from my manuscript, Leadership for New Managers: Book Two.

2. Enhancing Presence

Understanding and developing the following will dramatically enhanced a leader’s effectiveness: 
a. Professional Bearing: 

Associates expect leader/managers to look and act as professionals. Leaders displaying an
unprofessional appearance do not instill confidence in their associates. Studies of non-verbal communications have shown that most people will defer to someone that appears to be a leader. People will, for example, give them more personal space and let them take the lead in conversations and even let them lead when walking. We all may have had the experience of assuming a person was the leader because of his/her presence only to discover that someone else was actually the
leader but did not appear to be. As an officer in the Army in Vietnam, we knew not to place our hands on our hips because enemy snipers assume that a person that does is the leader. Sometimes, just carrying a clipboard can have the same effect.

(1). Dress Code

Every organization has a dress code, written or not. Peer pressure enforces unwritten dress codes in an informal or formal group. That does not mean that a leader/manager should dress like his/her associates. Normally, the dress code for leader/managers is different from for associates even if it is not written. Associates have expectations on a leader’s dress. For example, associates and patients expect doctors to look like doctors, not clowns. Judges wear robes and look like judges, not mimes. Airline pilots wear uniforms and do not dress like hippies. There is a reason that police, guards, and the military wear uniforms. Just the sight of a uniform can calm down a situation that is beginning to spiral out of control. How an associate dresses may be an expression of free speech, but leaders need to dress in compliance with a dress code or to meet associates’expectations. It is not worth debating the issue, dressing correctly makes it easier to earn the respect of followers. Just ask any priest. However, there may be room for variances, such as wearing a tie or not. 

Leaders also want promotions. There is more than merely hard work needed to be promoted. Upper management what to promote people who will fit in, who look and act like them. Aspiring young leader/managers should observe the dress code of upper management and copy it as close as possible. 

Always have a spare shirt, blouse, necktie, shoes, etc. at work for emergencies. I would add a comb, hair spray, make up, toothbrush and tooth paste to that. 
 
Dress codes usually cover jewelry, hairstyles, and appropriate clothing. Leader/managers must wear whatever is appropriate for the organization’s industry. For example, showing cleavage may be appropriate in modeling, entertainment, and women’s lingerie. Otherwise, cleavage, front or back, is
probably inappropriate in most environments. 

More and more, little or no scents such as perfumes, colognes, aftershave, etc. are the standard. The same goes for jewelry, body piercing, finger nails, and hairstyle. Again, that depends on the industry. The appearance of fingernails is important. If leader/managers are in a career field that requires them to point on a document where a client or customer must sign their name, clean and neat nails are necessary. Too often, I have had the misfortune of looking at a fingernail that is dirty, bitten or chewed, and with blood around the cuticle pointing at a clean document for me to sign. 

(2). Posture

Good posture is important to good health. It seems as if people do not talk about posture as much as they did years ago in spite of the emergence of the field of ergonomics. Leader/managers should not only practice good posture but also demonstrate good posture for their associates. Including posture as a part of training is a good idea, especially when back injuries are a common hazard in
the industry. Poor posture will cause health problems later in life. Leader/managers with good posture demonstrate self-confidence. 
 
b. Fitness

Fitness means having sound health, strength, and endurance. Physically fit people feel more competent and confident, handle stress better, work longer and harder, and recover faster. They usually live longer. These attributes provide valuable payoffs in any environment. Individual fitness depends on multiple areas including physical fitness, medical health, nutrition, psychological, and
behavioral (healthy practices). Leader/managers follow policies and adopt practices to maintain total fitness. Physical fitness and adequate rest support cognitive functioning and emotional stability, both essential for sound  leader/managers. Fitness will sustain emotional health and conceptual abilities
under prolonged stress.


Leader/managers
should encourage fitness and good health among their associates. Poor fitness
and bad health habits will kill or damage people. Encouraging good health habits
and physical fitness is caring for associates.

It has stopped snowing but it is still cold--a good day for writing. My manuscript is almost ready. I am reviewing one morre time. Below is more on lLeadership for New Managers: Book Two:

The best leaders usually have something beyond just their behavior – something distinctive that commands attention, wins people's trust and enables them to lead successfully, which is often called "leadership presence” (Scouller, 2011). Scouller suggested that it takes more than the right
knowhow, skills and behaviors to lead well – that it also demands "presence". However, that presence varies from person to person and research has shown it is hard to define in terms of common personality characteristics. The traits approach fails to capture the elusive phenomenon of presence. The other leading leadership theories do not address the nature and development of
presence.

 Presence is a critical attribute leader/managers need to understand. It is not just a matter of showing up; actions, words, and the manner in which leader/managers carry themselves convey presence.

The impression a leader makes on others contributes to his success in leading them. This impression is the sum of a leader’s outward appearance, demeanor, actions, and words. I think we have all met a person who strikes us as a leader just by her/his presence. 

1. Presence During Hardships

Leader/managers illustrate through their presence that they care. Leader/managers who routinely  share in team hardships and dangers are a great inspiration t. Being where associates perform duties allows the leader to have firsthand knowledge of the real conditions associates face. It is not merely being there but also sharing the experience. 

Effective leader/managers connect with their associates by sharing hardships and communicating openly to clearly see and feel what goes on from a subordinate’s perspective. That may mean working late to catch up on paperwork.

As the Inspector General for the 2nd Infantry Division in Korea, I would talk to soldiers about their leaders. In one platoon, I discovered that the soldiers had little respect for their platoon leader. He lost their respect during a recent flood. The platoon tried to keep the water from their barracks by putting sandbags around it. As they worked, the water came and they ended up knee deep in water. The young platoon leader climbed up onto a conex container and directed their efforts from there. The perception was that he climbed out of the floodwaters to keep his feet dry while his soldiers had to work in the water. I asked the young man why he did it and he stated that he thought he could better supervise from there. He lost the respect of his subordinates because he did not share in their hardship--a bad decision on his part.