Earlier this winter, I finally checked out the business book “Traction” (by Gino Wickman) from Brown Library. I heard about the book in December at the VCCS Hire Education conference, where Jeanian Clark and Bill Pence explained how they used “Traction” to transform their Workforce division at Lord Fairfax Community College. It was my favorite session of the conference, as it was both inspiring and useful. This is going to sound extremely nerdy, but I just loved the idea of aligning bite-sized daily goals with a long-term vision. That’s how you get things done … how you gain traction. One of the most memorable takeaways was the concept of “Rocks,” which the author actually credits to an analogy in Stephen Covey’s book “First Things First.” Wickman writes: Picture a glass cylinder set on a table. Next to the cylinder are rocks, gravel, sand, and a glass of water. Imagine the glass cylinder as all of the time you have in a day. The rocks are your main priorities, the gravel represents your day-to-day responsibilities, the sand represents interruptions, and the water is everything else that you get hit with during your workday. If you, as most people do, pour the… Continue Reading How ‘Traction’ is changing my life and workRead More
Image from IDEO U course: “From Superpowers to Great Teams” Last fall, I wrote about my philosophy of life and approach to being a parent … about how I ask myself: What are your superpower(s), and how will you use them to help others? So you can understand why I had to sign up for an online course called “From Superpowers to Great Teams” — which helps you hone your unique superpowers while also exploring how to strengthen the relationships in your work teams. The class summary explains: Work is most joyful–and its outcomes are most impactful–when we embrace relationships as opportunities and focus on bringing out the best in our collaborators. It begins with you showing up as your best self at work, and then building the relationships and conditions for people around you to thrive. The non-credit course is offered by IDEO, a global design company that has pioneered design thinking (another topic I have blogged about before). For $199, I accessed this self-paced course (found at IDEO U) which features a series of short, well-produced videos and related exercises to do on my own. One of my most profound takeaways was the focus on duos, which the… Continue Reading Want a super team? Start with dynamic duosRead More
How’s your Innovation Grant journey going? No matter where you are in the process, VWCC Grant Specialist Stephanie Seagle wants to help. Take advantage of 30-minute, one-on-one coaching sessions, which might include: An overview of the application process (especially if you missed the “5 Secrets to a Funded Innovation Grant” session at in-service)Brainstorming and feedback about your idea Specific questions you might have about your proposal (where do I even start with the budget?!?!, etc.) Sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080C4AADAA28A1F85-innovation2 About the Innovation Grant: These annual grants are awarded by the Virginia Western Community College Educational Foundation. The maximum award is $10,000, and projects are expected to be finished in about 10 months (May 2019 to March 2020). All members of Virginia Western faculty and classified staff, including adjunct faculty and part-time employees, are eligible to submit proposals. The deadline for applications is March 29 … but there are key requirements due before then, so don’t delay reading the application closely and reaching out if you have questions. Note that in order for your grant proposal to be eligible for consideration, you must meet with grants office staff (Stephanie) at least once for guidance in completing the application. Previous workshops fulfill… Continue Reading Innovation Grant update: 30-minute coaching sessions now availableRead More
About Shelley
Shelley Lyons is glad to be back on campus as she is a Virginia Western alum, and has served as the Administrative Officer for Grants Administration at Virginia Western since early 2022. Prior to VWCC, her career focus was within the Human Services and Arts fields. She wrote her first grant in 1996 on a whim and has continued to plan and learn since that time. She most enjoys seeing a well-planned project come to fruition, where funder, project manager and beneficiaries can all feel success and see impact.
Recent Posts
- Innovation, and the LOI. August 25, 2025
- Some 24/25 Highlights July 16, 2025
- Have you heard? October 28, 2024
- The Game of Life – Innovation Edition! August 29, 2024
- Why Try An LOI? May 10, 2024