Three months after this photo was taken, Dad, 78, had a cardiac arrest out of the blue in our farmyard. Mum saw him collapse, called 999, and the operator talked her through CPR to keep him alive in the 20 minutes it took the ambulance to arrive. He was rushed to hospital in Carlisle, where his heart was restarted with a defibrillator. Because Dad was so fit, he stabilised. But the damage to his oxygen-starved brain was too much and he never regained consciousness. Just over a week later we had to make the terrible decision to turn off the machines.

Dads death changed me in many ways. Obviously, I miss him tremendously its heartbreaking to go back to the local churchyard and see his grave. There is a huge hole in our family: my mother is still struggling to deal with his loss, as are my kids.

My attitude to life has changed 100 per cent since my father died. I was always a bit carpe diem and felt life was for living, but Im even more so now. Losing him has made me think how short our lives are and how we must make the most of them. I know that I have to savour every moment and to create more memories.

As a rugby player as well as a coach, Id had years of experience with sports medicine and physios, but never this kind of life-and-death illness. Now I am very engaged. Shortly after Dad died, I picked up a book called Critical: Science and Stories from the Brink of Human Life by Dr Matthew Morgan, an intensive-care consultant. There were chapters on the heart and brain that gave me some understanding of what had happened to my father. I emailed Matt to thank him for his book, and explain to him how it is from the other side of the process, as a relative, waiting in intensive care, listening to different consultants.

Dad had already suffered a heart attack (followed by a bypass) back in 2007, which I believe was related to the stress he went through during the foot-and-mouth disease crisis six years earlier. I wasnt aware this increased his risk of a cardiac arrest. If wed have known that, we would have made sure he had more ECGs, maybe even had a defibrillator on the farm. Fewer than 10 per cent of cardiac arrest patients survive, but if their hearts are swiftly restarted, the odds increase dramatically.

My father has left big shoes to fill. His passing has made me realise the importance of family. And if increased awareness of heart health leads to one more life saved, then thats a legacy of which Dad would be very proud.

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Former England rugby coach Stuart Lancaster: 'Losing Dad has made me realise the importance of family' - The Telegraph

Posted: Nov. 23, 2019 5:54 pm Updated: Nov. 23, 2019 5:58 pm

HANNIBAL Head Coach Eric Hill and members of the Hannibal Pirates Varsity Boys Soccer team achieved success through a family atmosphere, looking back on a strong 2019 season with a 17-7 record.

Hill said many underclassmen stepped up for starting positions as the season began seniors Nathan DeStefane and Mason Tharp helped teammates lead by example, and players who secured starting positions during practice felt the need to perform their best in a competitive atmosphere with teammates who were also ready to take the lead. Several family members played together thisyear, like Parker Terrill, his brother, Tristen, and their cousin, Blayde; along with brothers Kolin Westhoff and Karson Westhoff and first-cousins Tharp and Kayne Whitley. From practice sessions to games, the players and their coach became a close-knit group.

They cared for each other and they wanted to win, Hill said. They talked each other up, tried to pump each other up, instead of getting onto somebody if they made a mistake. They tried get them to stay positive and keep it going for the next one.

The team members felt the same way about how Hill created a positive and challenging environment for each athlete, regardless of their skill level. He coaches boys and girls soccer teams from second grade through junior varsity and varsity levels, making himself available to athletes and parents on a daily basis.He also leads the athletes on a yearly Kickin' Cancer fundraiser to benefit the Patient Assistance Fund at the James E. Cary Cancer Center.

His personality is as good as his coaching, Kolin Westhoff said. DeStefane felt that Hill made a profound impact on his life.

Coach Hill has been a consistent role model for me these last four years. He pushes me to be successful on the soccer field and with my academics. Coach is someone that I look up to on the soccer field as well as in everyday life. His influence has had an impact on my actions how I carry myself (on or off the field) and how I treat others, DeStefane said. He develops a personal relationship with all students and players in an attempt to bring the best out of everyone. I would not be the athlete I am today or more importantly the person that I am today without the guidance, leadership and compassion that Coach Hill has used to greatly affect my life.

Tharp remembered how he came to Hill, who got him into soccer his freshman year with no prior experience. Hillkept pushing me all four years to get better and better. Looking back on his senior year and all the skills he developed, Tharp is now at a place where he can play for a college team.

He just never let me quit, Tharp said.

Hill said the season consisted of many close games consisting of one, two or three goals. Those games helped the players respond effectively to thetight level of competition and fight for every win. Hill said the hard work and willingness to step up from underclassmen along with the effective leadership from upperclassmen led to a successful result.

This team exceeded expectations for just about everybody, including myself, Hill said. I didn't think that we would have the record that we would have I thought that we would be OK I didn't think that we would finish 17-7.

Tristen Terrill said the team played together well based on trust between the teammates. He said it was pretty cool to have his brother, Parker, as goalie and his cousin, Blayde, playing defense as center back. And he was quick to commend all the other players who worked together.

Honestly, the whole team was kind of like brothers, and you could trust any of them always count on everyone, he said. Everyone's been like family.

tmcdonald@courierpost.com

Continued here:
Band of brothers - Hannibal.net

DeShena Woodard is happy.

Shes working full time in her dream job as an RN, running her own financial blog and living in a suburb outside of Houston.

From the outside looking in, youd never guess this got-it-all-together professional was recently struggling.

Just a few years ago, Woodard was anxious. Every dollar she made at her part-time job was earmarked for a bill to pay someone else. She had nothing in savings and was growing weary of living paycheck to paycheck.

In this series, NerdWallet interviews people who have triumphed over debt. Responses have been edited for length and clarity.

Woodard was spending more than she earned, something she refers to as living extravagantly broke. (Appropriately, Extravagantly Broke is now the name of her blog.)

Thats when things changed. With her children getting older and her own education complete, Woodard was in a position to begin working full time. She upped her salary to approximately $75,000 in 2017 (a sizable increase from about $50,000 in 2016) and undertook a financial journey.

While her husband paid down household debt, Woodard worked on paying her own. She shifted her focus from habits like buying new clothes and overspending on Christmas to holding on to things longer instead of replacing them. She bought only what she needed and rarely what she wanted. Her lifestyle went from extravagant to frugal.

And it worked.

Between January 2017 and August 2019, Woodard paid off $51,754 in debt a combination of credit cards, auto loans and a personal loan.

She paid off a Nissan auto loan, hefty credit card charges for her schooling that had been building up and expenses for her daughter.

Nowadays, shes living comfortably and is still getting used to small victories like seeing money building in her bank account. The best part? Woodard says shes doing better emotionally.

I feel much happier not having any debt and driving a Nissan than I would having a lot of debt driving a Mercedes.

Heres how she paid off debt and what she learned along the way, in her own words.

What triggered your decision to start getting out of debt?

I was not happy with the current state of my finances. I was stressed and anxious about money all the time. I knew that what I was doing wasnt working and decided to make a change. I changed my attitude toward money and that is what led to a change in my spending behavior. I made the choice to live a comfortable life instead of an extravagantly broke one.

How did you prioritize your debts?

I was paying all of them at the same time, but I was paying more on some than others. For one credit card, I was paying $500 a month and the other one $300. On my car, I was paying double. But once I got both credit cards paid off, then I was able to pay triple on my car.

For me, I needed to see that they were all moving in the right direction. Thats just what worked better for me. For some people, it may be better to just pay one thing off at a time if thats what you can do.

How has your life changed for the better since you got out of debt?

My life has definitely changed for the better since being out of debt. For one thing, I can sleep better at night. Im not always worried about being able to pay my bills. I am now at the point where I forget when payday is. And I often go for more than a week before even checking my bank account to make sure that I did get paid.

How do you remain debt-free today?

I have become much more money savvy and I dont make spur-of-the-moment purchases. Every spending decision has to be well thought out. I stick to using cash or debit. And I budget for everything.

What made you start your blog?

I know there are people out there like me. For me, it took a mindset shift. Until we can change our thinking, its hard to change our behavior. In my writing, I focus a lot on mindset, trying to dive a little deeper. I can just give you tips, but until something changes mentally, it all just washes over people.

It really takes this sort of self-discovery. You really need to think deep and figure out what is the reason that you need that? Why do you need this car versus that car? Or do you really need another car? Whats wrong with the car you have? Would it be more affordable to fix that up or put a little money into it versus pay a monthly car payment that youre going to be responsible for for the next 60 months or however many months of your life?

What is your next goal?

Im working toward becoming a certified life coach so that I can begin coaching people on their mindset and their money to help them bridge the gap and get over the hurdle of why theyre spending.

How to ditch your own debt

In addition to shifting her thinking, Woodard implemented several money-saving strategies. Used in combination, they were effective in reducing her spending and paying down her debt. Here are a few you can try, too:

There are also some universal strategies to keep debt at bay. Here are a few of NerdWallets top tips:

More From NerdWallet

Courtney Jespersen is a writer at NerdWallet. Email: courtney@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @CourtneyNerd.

The article How I Ditched Debt: From Extravagantly Broke to Comfortably Frugal originally appeared on NerdWallet.

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She ditched more than $50,000 in debt and you can too: Heres how - OregonLive.com

As a writer, it's not often that I find myself at a loss for words. Friday night around 11 p.m. was one of those times.

I had just received a text from a good friend of mine, informing me that longtime Freeland girls' basketball coach Tom Zolinski had passed away. Initially, I simply could not believe what I was reading. My immediate reaction was, "That can't be true."

Unfortunately, as I quickly learned, it was all too true.

Once the reality of that news set in, my next reaction was sadness just piercing, overwhelming sadness. It's always stunning when someone you know pretty well dies unexpectedly. It doesn't matter how often one experiences that news. It never gets any easier, and it's always gut-wrenching.

Choking back some hot tears, I inquired as to the cause of Tom's death and was told that the cause was yet to be determined. As of this writing Saturday afternoon, it's still a mystery. What is not a mystery, though, is why I have been hearing so much feedback from folks in the local sports community sharing their thoughts, prayers, and memories of Tom and praising him for a life well-lead.

From what I can gather, he was loved, respected, admired, and cherished ... and he will be missed dearly.

Freeland coach Tom Zolinski meets with his players during a timeout in a Division 2 quarterfinal game vs. Cadillac last March.

Freeland coach Tom Zolinski meets with his players during a timeout in a Division 2 quarterfinal game vs. Cadillac last March.

Photo: Daily News File Photo

Freeland coach Tom Zolinski meets with his players during a timeout in a Division 2 quarterfinal game vs. Cadillac last March.

Freeland coach Tom Zolinski meets with his players during a timeout in a Division 2 quarterfinal game vs. Cadillac last March.

Kelly: Zolinski left wonderful legacy of humility, success, and class

It does not surprise me one iota to hear all of the aforementioned comments about Tom Zolinski. It's been said many times already today, but I will definitely say it again he was a great coach and even better person.

I think it is easy to overlook how good a coach Tom was based on the fact that Freeland has produced a string of excellent female basketball players over the past many years. But, as more than one coach has pointed out to me today, simply having good players does not necessarily result in multiple conference, district, and regional championships. Someone still has to guide them, to promote team chemistry, and to assure that the parts function smoothly as a unit. And by all counts, Tom was masterful at getting the very best out of his players both superstars and role players alike.

Having covered Tom's teams for the past 12 years, I can say without reservation that his Falcons have always been some of my favorite teams to cover for three simple reasons: they always played uber hard, they always played smart basketball, and (here's my favorite thing) they always played together SO well.

A great example of that was Tom's 2017 team, which had no superstars like Tori Jankoska or Taryn Taugher but which still managed to win its first 26 games and reach the Class B state semifinals before finally losing for the first and only time. No, that team didn't have a superstar, but what it did have was a bunch of girls who bought into the team-first concept, who shared the ball beautifully and crisply, and who valued the importance of defense. A lot of credit goes to those players for embracing that model, but a lot of credit also goes to Tom for fostering a team atmosphere where everyone understood her role and flourished in it.

Let's face it, a coach doesn't string together the run of conference, district, and regional championships that Tom did in his 12 years at Freeland without knowing what he's doing and without having the trust of his players.

And that brings us to Tom Zolinski, the man.

All day today I've been hearing stories of how Tom cared deeply about his players (a fact which was always evident whenever he'd talk about them in postgame interviews), about how he excelled at building relationships with his players, and about how he would even go have lunch with Freeland's elementary schoolers in order to form a bond with his future players early in their young lives. That, to me, is going above and beyond the norm, and that probably goes a long way toward explaining why Tom's players seemed to love playing for him.

My personal experience with Tom was nothing but positive. Of course, it's tempting to paint an individual in glowing colors after he or she is gone. But when folks call Tom Zolinski a "great man," I can honestly say without hesitation that my experience with him supports that claim 100 percent.

During his 12 years at the Falcons' helm, I had the pleasure of covering his teams dozens of times, including many, many postseason games. Never not once did Tom EVER treat me with anything but graciousness, respect, and courtesy whenever I interviewed him, and that includes some tough interviews following heartbreaking postseason losses.

He was never surly, never defensive, never standoffish. When his teams won a big game, he was polite and humble. And when his teams lost a big game, he was even-keeled and reflective. But never grouchy. One of his more endearing qualities was that, for all of his on-court success and hard work, he invariably gave ALL the credit to his players. As I've said, he was nothing if not humble.

I recall driving down to the Breslin Center or, rather, attempting to drive down to the Breslin Center for Freeland's state semifinal game in March 2017. Along the way, around St. Johns, my car broke down, and I was forced to sit in a cold car in a cold parking lot, watching the snow fall while awaiting assistance and knowing that I was going to have to miss the game. I was so disappointed. I felt that I was letting Tom down, I was letting his team down, and I was letting our readers down by not being there.

The very next morning, I called Tom and personally apologized for having missed the game. Rather than upbraid me for not being there (or rather than even hint at being disappointed by my absence), Tom's immediate reaction was to make sure I was OK and to give me some terrific advice. "Go see my brother at McDonald Ford in Freeland," he said. "He'll get you a good deal on a nice car. I guarantee it."

Well, I took Tom's advice, and sure enough: his brother Steve and the staff at McDonald bent over backward to get me financed for a low-mileage Chrysler 200 the same car I'm driving today and the best car I've ever owned. Suffice it to say that I was and still am very grateful to Tom and to his brother for that gesture.

More than a couple of people, such as local coaches and players and acquaintances of Tom's, have told me today that they will miss Tom greatly and that the basketball community will not be the same without him. All I can say to that is, "Amen." I, too, will miss Tom fiercely.

I will miss his smiling face. I will miss his easygoing demeanor. I will miss hisfirmhandshake and warm chuckle. I will miss watching him mold young girls into an incredible basketball-playing machine. I will miss his self-effacing praise for the players under his tutelage. But most of all, I will miss his friendship.

How will Freeland girls' basketball go on without Tom? Who will coach the team in his stead? Will future generations of Freeland basketball players enjoy similar success? I have no idea yet. But I do know that Tom's legacy will live on in the lives of the players he loved so dearly. And, hopefully, that dedication to molding young people into winners both in sports and in life will trickle down from his former players to many future generations to come.

In short, Tom may be gone, but I have a feeling that his positive influence will continue to be felt in more ways than he could've possibly imagined.

I think Tom would be so incredibly pleased to hear what Tori Jankoska had to say about him Saturday morning. I think she summed up Tom's impact on his players' lives beautifully.

"Coach Z ... coached all of us from the beginning (of our basketball careers), but it was never about the wins. He made us all laugh and fall in love with going to practice and playing the game we love with our best friends," said Jankoska, who is now coaching young women at Missouri State University. "He brought light to anyone around him. He guided us in life. He created memories that will last a lifetime on and off the court. I can only hope to touch players' lives the way he did mine."

Who can ask for a better legacy than that?

Fred Kelly is a sportswriter for the Daily News.

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Kelly: Zolinski left wonderful legacy of humility, success, and class - Midland Daily News

Mary Beth Ray, then the Van Ness Main Street president, addressing a 2016 VNMS fundraiser.

Mary Beth Ray has never shied away from a challenge. She served as an ANC 3F commissioner and she co-founded the predecessor to Van Ness Main Street, ANC 3Fs Van Ness Vision Committee. Ray went on to chair the VNMS board. Now she is helping people take on their own challenges as a leadership, career and life coach.

The brings to mind visions of one-on-one personal coaching and career development, but Ray also engages groups with her coaching. We were curious about that so we asked her to explain what is involved.

by Mary Beth Ray

You leave yet another meeting exhausted and frustrated. Did anyone even hear what you said? Everyone seemed to be talking past each other, one person hogged the floor, and next steps are clear as mud. Whats the point of a team if everyone refuses to collaborate?

Sound familiar? Whether a law firm, company, nonprofit, board, government agency, or another organization, how you and your colleagues understand or misunderstand each other affects every aspect of your organizations performance.

Workplace conflict is unavoidable, and it most commonly occurs when team members are fundamentally different. But differences are good and provide balance to the organization, which is crucial to top performance. The key is to identify and manage those differences, understanding yourself and others on the team, and the values each person brings.

Mary Beth Ray

What small but significant differences can you make to understand each other better? With a team assessment and debrief, employees understand the reasoning behind their colleagues actions, and they can begin to communicate their frustrations with each other with safer, less-confrontational language, and in turn, improve overall team awareness.

Differences can feel like each team member is speaking a different language. What if you had an instant translator to understand each of those languages? Team assessments are like instant translators.

Whats the difference between individual and team assessments? Many people are familiar with Myers Briggs, but not so familiar with a team assessment. While an individual assessment such as Myers Briggs can tell you about yourself, a team assessment will pull together data on the whole team, highlighting strengths, potential areas where members might get stuck, and identify adaptations that can lead to better collaboration. It can also identify potential gaps on your team, which can be taken into consideration in hiring to diversify your team and build strengths where they are currently lacking.

How does it work? Each member of the team takes an individual assessment measuring behavior, motivators and emotional quotient. The questions are online and take about 20 minutes. The assessment yields a 50-page report, followed up with an individual debrief with a certified coach, which takes about an hour and a half. Individual assessments identify individual strengths, ask if your strengths align well to your job role, and ask whether you are being managed to your strengths. Following individual debriefs, the team gets together for a group debrief with the coach, which takes less than 2 hours.

An example of TTIs Success Insights Wheel.

What happens in the team debrief? Each individual is plotted on the Success Insights Wheel, showing their natural and adapted behavior. Natural behavior is the real you and adapted behavior is how you change your behavior to adapt to your work environment. During a team debrief, the coach facilitates a discussion that gets everyone involved in sharing their strengths and identifying challenges. Starting with a volunteer, each member of the team shares their key insights from their reports. What are 1-2 things youd like your team to know about you? For example, do you like to lead or be in the background? Do you want to research every possible answer, or do you have a strong sense of urgency to get the work done. What value do they each bring to an organization, how do they want to be communicated with? We review perceptions, how each team member perceives his own value, and how others might perceive them under moderate or extreme stress. What do the natural and adapted graphs show with regard to how people approach problems and challenges, how people influence people, whether they process verbally or internally? Whats the potential for conflict when a boss is an extrovert and others on the team are introverts?

Whats up with the wheel? Where do team members fall within the wheel, are they task oriented or people oriented? Fast or slow? What value does each member bring to the team, and where might the team struggle? What are the learnings, and next steps to cultivate adaptations? If everyone in the group is a Supporter, it might feel like a calm, steady, friendly place to work. But would hiring a Persuader help drive new challenges, results and PR? What challenges could be anticipated with the addition of a Persuader?

Is this judgment? No. Its all about self-awareness and empathy. The self-awareness and empathy we learn through assessments teach us to understand where people are coming from, why they do what they do, and what motivates them. Assessments reveal the filters through which we process information and make decisions. Every decision has emotion attached to it, and as we discover our own emotion, and that of others, were able to reflect, make space for others, and ultimately make better decisions.

In short, there is no judgment, no right or wrong answer, and each person brings unique strengths and value to the team. Insights gained through team assessments provide the foundation for more effective communication, and mission success.

How accurate is the data?

TTI is the worlds leading developer of research-based, validated assessment and coaching tools, used in more than 90 countries and in 40 languages. TTI regularly uses statistical analysis and brain imaging to update and validate their questionnaires. Between January 2014 and May 2017, TTI collected data from 1,735,323 people. Here are the study results.

The DISC and Driving Forces assessments are pegged to the norm unique for each population it surveys. So for example, Argentines taking the DISC are benchmarked against other Argentines, not against Americans or French.

The Takeaway

Individual assessments give you an accurate perception of yourself, and how you interact with people. You will understand the causes of conflict. Results will guide your personal and professional development and a higher level of satisfaction. Team assessments will quickly show where conflict can occur, and identify where communication, understanding and appreciation can be increased.

Coaching can be a great next step following individual and team assessments. Coaching is a partnership between coach and client, with the coach using active listening and powerful questions to challenge and inspire the client toward self-awareness, growth, and action. It is different from therapy, mentoring, and performance review.

Leadership requires growth, and growth requires self-awareness. Assessments and coaching are great tools to dig deeply to understand who we are, what motivates us, and whether our lives are aligned with our values. What are our strengths, and how do we lean into them? What are our opportunities to be better leaders? Moving from good to great leadership moves a team or organization closer to mission success.

If you have any questions or would like more information, please check out mbrcoach.com or contact Mary Beth Ray at mbr@mbrcoach.com.

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Meet Your Neighbors: She helps people learn more about themselves and each other - Forest Hills Connection

CHECKPOINT/RNZ

There are 26 in the race, all Kiwis, and four among the favourites - no it's not the Melbourne Cup, but the race to become the next All Blacks coach.

OPINION:I'm at the kids' athletics day.

There's big pressure for them to perform and I know all eyes are on me. There is a lot on the line here.

I've done all I can. I can't run the race for them butI've taught them all my secrets.

I've trained them for hours and hours in the back yard but now this is the big stage. The big time. All I can do is watch and cheer. That's it. It's all up to them.

READ MORE: *How-to Dad: My British roots are haunting me *My name is Jordan and I'm a closethoarder * 25 coaches NZ Rugby likely approached for the top job

HANNAH PETERS/GETTY IMAGES

Pity the new All Blacks coach, they have a tough job ahead, writes Jordan Watson. (Steve Hansen pictured with assistant coach Ian Foster.)

Three third places.They're not happy, the crowd is furious and all fingers point at me.Before I can even catch my breath the kids have found a new dad.

That's how it would be if being a dad was like being a rugby coach.Holy crap, do they have it hard.

Some would say that the more difficult challenge lies before the new All Blacks' coach selection committee.Pffft,that's easy. Whoever they choose won't affect them. Instead, cameras will point at and dissect this new coach straight away.

As soon as their name is read out they'll feel the full force of a New Zealand rugby mad front row.They'll be fighting for the next four years, trying not to crumble under the immense pressure.

Us dads have it easy.Your job is easy.Compared to these international coaches life is easy.

Imagine if your end of year performance review at your accounting/building/bank/farming job put you in third place.You'd be pretty darn proud and your job would be safe. Only you and your employer would know the results and that would be that.

Now tear down the four walls of your working environment and replace them with pointingfingers, couch commentators, headline-hunting reporters and 4.5 million opinions on your terrible third place performance.That's the world of an international rugby coach.

LAWRENCE SMITH/STUFF

I have 2.2 million followers but they're generally kind if I skip a video, writes Jordan Watson.

No thanks, not for me.

Imagine if I didn't push the swing high enough?Or if Iforgot to pack the school book bag. What if I burn the kids dinner!?I'd be out.

Some of you will argue, 'oh yeah, but they get a good pay packet.'

Yeah they probably do, but that big bag of dosh doesn't make that 24/7 scrutiny go away.

It's funny that here in little old New Zealand our rugby coaches are more famous than our 'celebs'. They get more air time, more interviews, more heat and more trolls than our best celebrities combined.

I have 2.2 million followers around the world and am expected to deliver a comedic video every week.

If I dare skip a week ..people are generally kind. The people watching my sport of 'Dad videos' don't have the same rage bubbling in their veins. They are not so quick to judge.

The All Blacks coaching boots are bloody massive boots to fill.

And whether it be the surfy looking blonde guy or Foster the older bloke let's give them a fair go, yeah? Restrain your Facebook typing fingers, bite your cursing tongue and just be grateful the whole nation isn't watching your every move.

Sunday Star Times

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How-to Dad: Being a parent is easy compared to being an All Blacks coach - Stuff.co.nz

The Croydon North constituency was created in 1997 and since then has been represented by the Labour Party.

The constituencycovers the Croydon Council wards ofBensham Manor, Broad Green, Norbury, South Norwood, Thornton Heath, Upper Norwood, West Thornton, and Selhurst.

Labour and Co-operative member Steve Reed became the MP for the area in a 2012 by-election.

In 2017 he retained the seat with 44,213 votes, with the Conservative candidate coming in second with 11,848 votes.

In the EU Referendum in 2016 the constituency voted 58.83 per cent for remain.

Claire Bonham Liberal Democrats

Claire has been a Crystal Palace resident since 2013 and has worked for more than 15 years in the voluntary sector.

She stood for the Upper Norwood and Crystal Palace seat in the 2018 local elections.

If elected, I will be a voice for the residents of Croydon North, she said. I will work hard, collaboratively and with imagination to ensure thatdecisions are takenwithreal local input,deliveringreal local improvementin our services and environment.

Rachel Chance The Green Party

Rachel has campaigned with Extinction Rebellion and volunteered

for Crystal Palace Transition Town.

She has lived in Crystal Palace for the past seven years and works in the charity sector.

She wants to see cleaner air through cleaner public transport and said she will fight to preserve Croydons 39 green spaces.

Donald Ekekhomen Conservative

Donald moved to the UK from Nigeria to study and has worked as a pharmacist across Croydon.

He has lived in the borough for more than 11 years and is a supporterof Crystal Palace.

He added: I volunteer in local charities and am a trustee in one that helps disadvantaged young people.

Candace Mitchell Christian Peoples Alliance

Candace is a former teacher and youth worker.

She now runs RevolutionChange, a life coaching service.

She said: Since 2015 I have been interested in and standing up for things that are important to our community. I am a definition of diversity which is one of the striking characteristics of our constituency.

I am approachable and a strong advocate for things I believe in. I want to continue fighting for our families and community.

Chidi Ngwaba Brexit Party

Back in August it was announced that Chidi would be standing in the Beckenham Constituencybut now is standing in Croydon North.

In a video from the party, the doctor says he honours the will of the people

He has worked in the NHS for most of his career and says the NHS needs some work and he wants to get power back to the people in terms of democracy so we can take back control of our health.

Steve Reed Labour and Co-operative party

Before becoming an MP Steve, who is standing for re-election, was the leader of Lambeth Council.

He served as the shadow minister for children and families.

He said: I gotflammable Grenfell-style cladding stripped from a local housing block, I helped get a new school built after theConservatives left children in containers for six years, and Ive dealt with over 50,000 issues for local people who came to me for help.

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Here are your Croydon North election candidates | Your Local Guardian - Your Local Guardian

Luke Hallmark has given his career, and his heart, to high school athletics. He credits his background in coaching to the road that has led him to where he is now, the Superintendent of Education for Marengo County Schools, a position he has held since 2000.

He stepped away from coaching in 1997 to become the principal at Greensboro West Elementary School, but he never stepped away from athletics. Hes a longtime member of the Alabama High School Athletics Associations Central Board of Control. Since 1988 he has been officiating high school basketball, and, since 1997, high school baseball.

He does it all because he enjoys it. Last Thursday he got a phone call from AHSAA Executive Director Steve Savarese that shows the role hes played is respected and appreciated. Savarese called to tell him hed been selected into the Alabama High School Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2020.

I was taken aback, said Hallmark. Ive always loved sports. A lot of times you dont think about things like that (getting into the Hall of Fame) because you love sports so much. Whether youre an official, or whether youre coach, or whether youre an administrator, youre doing something that you have a passion for and youre doing something that you really love.

Sports have opened up so many doors for me from high school to playing junior college ball. The contacts Ive made, the people, the friendships, the kids. Its just been really, really a wonderful experience for me.

Hallmark is one of 12 who will be inducted as the Class of 2020 at a banquet that will be held on March 16 at the Montgomery Renaissance Hotel and Spa Convention Center. He is going in in the category of administrator. Joining him will be Carrol Cox, Steve Mask and Fred Yancey, all in the football coaching category; Tommy Lewis and Yvonne Simmons, basketball coaches; track coaches Aaron Goode and Keith Wilemon; wrestling coach Joseph Desaro; soccer coach Rick Grammar; wrestling official Toney Pugh and coach/administrator Samuel Hamp Lyon who goes in in the category of old timer.

Hallmark, 62, lives in Demopolis now but grew up in Uniontown where he was a basketball and football player at Uniontown High School, though he graduated from Perry Christian High School in Marion in 1975. He went on to Marion Military Institute and played two years of junior college basketball. He received his bachelors degree from Auburn in 1980, a Masters of Education degree from what was then Livingston University but is now the University of West Alabama, and earned an Educational Specialist degree from the University of Montevallo.

His first coaching job came at Southern Academy in Greensboro. His coaching career included being the prep coach at Marion Military Institute, and, from there to Demopolis High School, first as an assistant before he was elevated to head basketball coach where his players included 1st round NBA draft pick Theo Ratliff.

It was just a thrill for me to coach and to have great kids around me, Hallmark said.

His coaching background, he said, has been a plus in his role on the AHSAA Board of Control.

It helps a lot. I think you can have a better understanding of situations that may occur. It allows you to work closely with some of these sports committees, and, with me having a finance degree, I also serve on the finance committee of the athletic association. Weve been able to do some really nice things with our finances.

March is a long way away--he jokes that by then I may even forget Im in it. I may have to put a string on my finger to remind me--but Hallmark knows the night of his induction will be memorable. Hes got many years to go but already he knows its been a career well-spent.

I have thoroughly enjoyed athletics, he said. I like the competition. I like the teamwork part of it. I like the bonding. I like the people. There is so much that goes with athletics. Even in the school business, a lot of times when your schools are having good seasons in a particular sport the environments are different. Its just a lot more excitement at the schools and even in the communities. On a Tuesday or a Friday night in a packed basketball gym, just people everywhere watching high school basketball--its just fun. Its special.

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SPORTING LIFE: Luke Hallmark will be inducted into AHSAA - Tuscaloosa News

By Phillip Sandahl and Alexis Phillips3 minute Read

No doubt youve noticed the trendorganizations are putting more and more emphasis on teams. Teams are forming, performing, and reforming at a dizzying rate. As a result, the life expectancy of teams is getting shorter and more mutable. Along the way, many organizations have discovered that their teams are underperforming, and theyre looking for ways to fix the problem.

Our data from thousands of team assessments shows that less than 10% of teams rate themselves as high-performing. This shows how much of a difference team coaching can make and the enormous opportunity that exists. Imagine the impact if an organization doubled that number.

By now, most management and executives are familiar with the concept of individual coaching. The process often involves the use of personality assessments that leaders can refer to so that they understand their style and temperament. The rationale is that by having these insights, it translates into behavior change and, ultimately, more effective leadership.

The same model applies to team coaching. Like individual coaching, team coaching starts with a discovery process to outline goals and outcomes for the team. An effective team coaching process also should include an assessment that provides a deeper understanding of what you might call the personality, temperament, and style of the team.

You see, a team is more than the sum of the individual parts. It is a living system, an entity with a past, a present, and an anticipated future. Just like individuals, teams have moods, strengths, blind spots, beliefs, and unspoken rules of behavior. That all shapes a unique team culture.

Catalysts and events can accelerate change, but real transformations dont come overnight. Thats why coaching is an ideal process for team development. A team-building intervention can appear to have an immediate impact, but that fades quickly when you dont integrate the experience into the teams everyday behavior.

Coaching, on the other hand, is an ongoing process. It starts with discovery, which leads to goal setting and an action plan. The coach then meets with the team to follow up on what the teams learned from implementing those plans.

The focus of those sessions should be twofold: One, identify behavior that supports team collaboration and that the team ought to continue, and two, recognize behavior that undermines cooperation, which the team needs to change.

Almost any team can benefit from team coachingincluding high-performing teams.

Senior executive leadership teams can especially benefit, because they have ultimate responsibility for the vision, strategy, and culture of the organization, and its competitive performance. They are also the most visible model for team behavior. Every layer of leadership looks to the people at the top as examples to follow.

Every merger, acquisition, and internal reorganization often represents an excellent opportunity for team coaching. Significant changes often create new teams and mash different cultures together. Corporations often leave teams on their own to sort things out and figure out how to work together. Eventually, teams find their way, define roles and responsibilities, and create new unspoken rules of how to work together. A new team emerges, but not intentionally. Team coaching can dramatically accelerate this process, starting practically from a blank page.

Project teams also tend to be good candidates. They have clear, measurable objectives, a timeline, and a budget. Often, there is a compelling sense of urgency because there is so much at stake, and the clock is ticking.

Of course, before committing to the coaching process, you need to have the support of senior leadership for it to work. Without leadership support, employees are unlikely to have the motivation to engage in the process. Its also on youas a team leaderto show your employees that you are committed to the process. After all, if you dont take it seriously, neither will they.

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Why managers should hire coaches for their team. - Fast Company

When I was in my early 20s, leadership development was not a blip on my radar.

Rarely did I ever ask myself: What skills are unique to great workers and leaders?It wasn't until much later that I realized how much transformation could come from reading.

Now, having entered the fifth decade of my life, I can say with confidence that the titles below have significantly changed the way I think, act, lead and perceive the world around me. I currently run an executive coaching company, but had I been able to absorb the knowledge from those books much earlier in my career, I'd be even more successful today.

As a CEO and leadership coach, here are the 11 books about leadership, success and professional growth that I consider to be the best of the decade:

By Edgar H. Schein

Communication is key to a healthy workplace. But all too often, managers no matter how much leadership experience they have simply tell their teams what they think their team needs to know. This ultimately stifles growth in the organization and can often lead to conflict and miscommunication.

To generate groundbreaking ideas and avoid disastrous mistakes, Edgar H. Schein, professor emeritus at MIT's Sloan School of Management, argues that leaders must learn how to practice "Humble Inquiry," which he defines as "the fine art of drawing someone out, of asking questions to which you do not know the answer, of building a relationship based on curiosity and interest in the other person."

By Marcus Buckingham and Ashley Goodall

In "Nine Lies About Work," leadership and workplace gurus Marcus Buckingham and Ashley Goodall outline the numerous faulty assumptions about work that often lead to office dysfunction.

Using engaging stories, real data and insightful observations from large companies, including Google, eBay and Amazon, the authors reveal the important truths that managers must recognize in order to lead a successful organization. (Here's one mind-blowing truth: "People don't want constant feedback, they want helpful attention.")

Adam Grant, best-selling author of "Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World," calls this must-read "one of the most provocative, lucidly written books" he's ever read about work. "Be prepared to throw your strategic plan out the window and become well-lopsided instead of well-rounded."

By Tony Hsieh

Before he became the CEO of Zappos, Tony Hsieh worked on a worm farm, ran a pizza business and co-founded internet advertising network LinkExchange (which he sold to Microsoft in 1998). And he's learned a lot throughout his journey.

In "Delivering Happiness," Hsieh shares the lessons he's learned in business and life and illustrates how creating what some might call an "unconventional" corporate culture can be a powerful model for achieving success.

More importantly, he explains how we can dramatically increase our own life satisfaction: By concentrating on the happiness of those around us.

By Marie Forleo

Named by Oprah Winfrey as "a thought leader for the next generation," Marie Forleo has taught thousands of entrepreneurs, artists and passionate go-getters from all walks of life how to dream big and back it up with daily action to create results.

At its very core, this book is a deeper reflection on something Forleo's mother once told her: "Nothing in life is that complicated. You can do whatever you set your mind to if you roll up your sleeves. Everything is figureoutable."

Whether it's a miserable job, a toxic addiction, a broken relationship or a work challenge, Forleo offers plenty of effective and forward-thinking advice on how to break down the barriers that hold us back from success.

By Michael Ventura

Michael Ventura, CEO of the award-winning design firm Sub Rosa, has worked with iconic brands like Google, Nike and Warby Parker to help them truly understand their leaders, their colleagues and themselves.

In "Applied Empathy," he explains why practicing empathy is the only path to powerful leadership. But most leaders don't fully understand how to do this.

This book will teach you what it really means to practice empathy (and no, it's not about expressing pity or sympathy) so you can create a more diverse, innovative and driven team.

By Chip Heath and Dan Heath

Ever wondered why it's so hard to make changes and actually stick to them? The authors of the critically acclaimed best-selling book, "Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die," answers this question in their new book.

Using a story-driven narrative and the latest research in neuroscience and psychology, "Switch" will challenge you to think about how to align your purpose with your actions and emotions.

By Eli Broad

Not living the extraordinary life you've always dreamed of? Maybe you're being a little too reasonable. Eli Broad's embrace of "unreasonable thinking" has helped him build two Fortune 500 companies both of which have helped him amass billions of dollars.

Being too reasonable can be dangerous, the entrepreneur and philanthropist says, because it shifts all your focus to figuring out why something new and different can't be done. Those who know how and when to be unreasonable, however, are able to come up with innovative strategies that lead to success.

In "The Art of Being Unreasonable," Broad shares several "unreasonable" principles that can be applied to both your personal and professional lives.

By David Brooks

Building inner character is just as important as building your career.

In "The Road to Character," New York Times op-ed columnist David Brooks explores how some of the world's most influential leaders from former president Dwight Eisenhower to social activist Dorothy Day have built inner character: Through internal struggle and a sense of their own limitations.

The Economist writes: "If you want to be reassured that you're special, you'll hate this book. But if you like thoughtful polemics, it's worth logging off Facebook to read it."

By Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic

Psychologist Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, who studies personality profiling, people analytics and leadership development, points out that 75% of people quit their jobs because of their direct line manager.

And while it's a known fact that there are more men in leadership positions than there are women, Chamorro-Premuzic argues that instead of scrutinizing the reasons why women aren't able to get ahead, we should be looking more critically at the lack of career obstacles for men.

Cindy Gallop, founder and CEO ofIfWeRanTheWorld, calls this must-read the "single most important book on leadership of our time."

By William Thorndike

A graduate of Harvard College and the Stanford Graduate School of Business, William Thorndike details the extraordinary success of eight successful CEOs who took a radically different approach to corporate management.

You might not recognize their names, but you've probably heard of their companies: General Cinema, Ralston Purina, Berkshire Hathaway, General Dynamics and Capital Cities Broadcasting, to name just a few.

"['The Outsiders'] is an outstanding book about CEOs who excelled at capital allocation," billionaire Warren Buffett wrote in his 2012 annual shareholder letter. "It has an insightful chapter on our director, Tom Murphy, overall the best business manager I've ever met."

By John Mackey and Rajendra Sisodia

Whole Foods CEO John Mackey and Conscious Capitalism co-founder Raj Sisodia team up to illustrate how capitalism and good business can be the driving force of the change that the world needs.

"Free enterprise, when combined with property rights, innovation, the rule of law and constitutionally limited democratic government, results in societies that maximize societal prosperity," Mackey writes in the book. "It establishes conditions that promote human happiness and well-being not just for the rich, but for the larger society, including the poor."

"Conscious Capitalism" will help you better understand how some of the most recognizable companies, including Whole Foods Market, Costco and Google, are using profit to build a more cooperative, humane and positive future.

Marcel Schwantes is the founder and CEO of Leadership from the Core. As a leadership coach, he addresses the elements required to create human-centered workplaces that result in high-performing cultures. Marcel is also the host of the podcast, "Love in Action," where he interviews the world's top leaders and influencers. Follow him on LinkedIn and Twitter.

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A 50-year-old CEO shares 11 books he wishes he read in his 30s: 'I'd be even more successful today' - CNBC