National Day of Service during the 57th Presidential Inauguration weekend, which coincides with the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service

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Dear National Service Communicators and CNCS Colleagues, We skipped this message last week to spend a little time with our friends and family, and we hope you did the same. Of course, national service never takes a day off. We're happy to share that we're working with the Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) to plan and host the National Day of Service during the 57th Presidential Inauguration weekend, which coincides with the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service. As today's Washington Post reports, "The committee, whose inaugural theme is 'Our People, Our Future,' has teamed up with the Corporation for National and Community Service and hired staff around the country to help organize events for the National Day of Service." Stay tuned for more information about how you can get involved. Below please find other recent media clips about our programs and initiatives. Thanks and enjoy your weekend. The External Affairs Team Media Highlight In an interview with a Fox affiliate in St. Louis, Missouri, AmeriCorps NCCC member Katherine Wiley shares her experiences on the front lines of the Hurricane Sandy relief effort in storm-ravaged New York.  National Service in the News Volunteering and Civic Life in America Volunteering and civic life- the backbone of a better AmericaMcClatchy (Washington, DC), December 27, 2012 Overall, one in four adults volunteered almost 8 billion hours through an organization, providing an estimated economic value of $171 billion. In addition to volunteering through organizations, two out of three Americans serve informally by helping out their neighbors, an increase of 9.5 percentage points from last year. The findings come from Volunteering and Civic Life in America, a report issued last week by the Corporation for National and Community Service and the National Conference on Citizenship. AmeriCorps Your kids can warm up with a cool bookKNDO 25 (Washington), January 2, 2012 The Regional Service Corps-AmeriCorps this week is holding afternoon reading activities at the Mid-Columbia Libraries branches. Corp member Valery Tolle says children of all ages can play games and take part in arts and crafts all aimed at inspiring them to read. AmeriCorps VISTA Brooklyn ‘A’ kicks off new years with arrival of new staff Brooklyn Daily Eagle (New York), January 3, 2012 Brooklyn Legal Services Corporation A, more commonly known as “Brooklyn A,” the long-term provider of free legal services to low-income residents and community organizations in the neighborhoods of North and East Brooklyn, is celebrating the new year with the arrival of an extraordinary group of nine VISTA volunteers and law graduate fellowship winners. AmeriCorps NCCC St. Louisan On The Front Lines Of Hurricane Sandy ReliefFox 2 Now (Missouri), December 23, 2012 It’s been quite a homecoming for Katherine Wiley, 21, a recent college graduate from St. Louis, who just returned from the front lines of the Hurricane Sandy relief effort in storm-ravaged New York. She shared her unforgettable experiences and pictures with Fox 2 Sunday. That tortured place where flood gave way to fire and all hope seemed lost became home to Wiley and her team of 10 fellow AmeriCorps volunteers. Senior Corps Making a Difference for kids: School literacy program: A win-win for volunteers and childrenTimes Standard (California), December 28, 2012 ”The nickname doesn't really fit until I do the face that makes kindergartners laugh,” he said. “I tell them there’s no smiling in school, but can’t get them to do the grumpy face. All they can do is smile and laugh.” Davis is among the 96 volunteers placed with 280 kindergarten through second-grade students as part of the Early Literacy Partners Program coordinated by the Humboldt County Office of Education and United Way. Social Innovation Fund  Scaling Smarter, Scaling for KeepsStanford Social Innovation Review (California), December 28, 2012 In his first term, President Obama committed to “seeking out creative, results-oriented programs … and helping them replicate their efforts across America.” In 2011, the federal Social Innovation Fund (SIF) made one of its first awards to the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), a national community development intermediary dedicated to the revitalization of low-income neighborhoods, to expand itsFinancial Opportunity Center (FOC) program. Serve.gov Blog National Mentoring Month Celebrates Adults Who Inspire Serve.gov, January 3, 2013 Each new year draws millions to make resolutions designed to change their lives. And while the focus on self-improvement is fine, the arrival of National Mentoring Month gives us an opportunity to recognize men and women who channel their energy to helping and inspiring young people toward a brighter future.

4 Powerful Words Employees Need to Hear

http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/4-powerful-words-employees-need-to-hear.html

There are lots of ways to make a positive impact on your staff. But the best involves four simple words.

shutterstock images

 

Here's how.Four simple words, used correctly and with the right intent, can make a powerful impact on your business, your life, and other people.

When you need help, start by using these four--and only these four--words:

"Can you help me?"

And then, for a moment, stop there.

Here's why.

You're not a kid anymore. You're an adult. You're smart and experienced and savvy. You've accomplished things. You've earned your place in the world.

So when you ask for help you also tend to unconsciously add image enhancers. For example, if you need help with a presentation you might go to someone and say, "I'm meeting with investors next week and my slides need a few formatting tweaks."

The problem is that wording serves to frame and signal your importance and ensure your ego is protected. Okay, you may need a little assistance with some trivial matter like a PowerPoint layout, but still: You are the one presenting to investors. You do the heavy lifting around here. You are the big dog in this particular hunt.

Plus you haven't really asked--you've stated. (When you're in charge and accustomed to directing others, turning requests into directives is a really easy habit to fall into.)

Here's a better way.

When you need help--no matter the kind of help you need or the person you need it from--take the bass out of your voice and the stiffness out of your spine and the captain out of your industry and just say, with sincerity and humility, "Can you help me?"

I guarantee the other person will say, "Sure," or, "I can try," or, "What do you need?" No one will never say "no," even a stranger. "Can you help me?" speaks powerfully to our instinctive desire to help other people.

Then make sure not to frame your request. Don't imply that you place yourself above the other person. Don't make your request too specific. And don't say what you need.

Instead, say what you can't do. Say, "I'm awful at PowerPoint and my slides look terrible." Say, "We absolutely have to ship this order by Tuesday and I have no idea how to make that happen." Say, "I'm lost and I can't find my hotel."

When you ask that way several powerful things immediately occur--especially for the other person:

One, you instantly convey respect. Without actually saying it, you've said, "You know more than I do." You've said, "You can do what I can't." You've said, "You have experience (or talents or something) that I don't have."

You've said, "I respect you." That level of respect is incredibly powerful--and empowering.

Two, you instantly convey trust. You show vulnerability, you admit to weakness, and you implicitly show that you trust the other person with that knowledge.

You've said, "I trust you." That level of trust is incredibly powerful--and empowering.

Three, you instantly convey you're willing to listen. You haven't tried to say exactly how people should help you. You give them the freedom to decide.

You've said, "You don't have to tell me what you think I want to hear; tell me whatyou think I should do." That level of freedom is incredibly powerful--and empowering.

By showing you respect and trust other people, and by giving them the latitude to freely share their expertise or knowledge, you don't just get the help you think you want.

You might also get the help you really need.

You get more--a lot more.

And so do other people, because they gain a true sense of satisfaction and pride that comes from being shown the respect and trust they--and everyone--deserves. Plus you make it easier for them to ask you for help when they need it. You've shown it's okay to express vulnerability, to admit a weakness, and to know when you need help.

And then, best of all, you get to say two more incredibly powerful words:

"Thank you."

And you get to truly mean them.