Slow and Steady: Stor e Telling April May 2011

Tortoise and Hare
from Children's Illustrations, 1880

I have penned the Stor E Telling column since January of 2002 and the articles from 2002-2006 are the publications page of my website found here http://tinyurl.com/llnn47y . I will be adding the columns from 2007 to 2012 to that page as well. However, I am in the process of checking what link URL's have changed or are now defunct. It is a time consuming process so I am taking the “slow and steady” approach via Aesop and will post the individual columns on my blog for now.

I will not be adding current columns until the following year, so if you want immediate access to the newest websites, consider becoming a member of the National Storytelling Network.

Please feel free to comment on the blog and let me know if you find this useful.

APRIL MAY 2011

Since this issue’s theme is Storytelling World I have put together a number of eclectic sites from around the globe. So pack your bags, find your passport and hit the storytelling road!

Danish Fairy Tales – Forty-six tales collected by J. Christian Bay, 1899 –  “May this train of Danish Kings and queens, wise men and fools, princes and beggars…may they all be kindly welcomed…”

http://tinyurl.com/6kso9qf

The Fairy Books of Andrew Lang – Step onto the rainbow of colored Fairy Books by this prolific author. All twelve colorful volumes are right here at your fingertips. 

http://tinyurl.com/4qglsr6

The Golden Mountain by Meyer Levin, 1932 -  “A collection of tales of the Eastern European Hassidic Jews, centering on the holy men Baal Shem Tov and Rabbi Nachman of Bratzlaw…these magical realist stories of the Hassidic rabbis are encoded with deeper levels of meaning similar to Buddhist, Sufi, Celtic, and other spiritual traditions.”
http://tinyurl.com/4j952xp

Green Willow and other Japanese Fairy Tales by Grace Adams, 1910 – Thirty eight stories from the Land of the Rising Sun, complemented by the gorgeous illustrations of Warwick Goble.

http://tinyurl.com/4rzy5pg

Mongolian Folktales - “The Mongolian folktales can be roughly divided into four groups: legends, animal tales, tales about everyday life, magical and riddle tales. In the following you will find a few words about each of these groups and a folktale as an example.”
http://tinyurl.com/7rw9xt

Old Hungarian Fairy Tales – Eight tales collected by Baroness Orczy and offered by The Baldwin Project.

http://tinyurl.com/4qw9ym2

Persian Tales by David Lockhard Roertson Lorimer, 1910 - Once upon a time there was a time when there was no one but God…so begins many of these wonderful stories from Persia. There is also a section vocabulary and pronunciation section at the end of the book.
http://chestofbooks.com/fairy-tale/Persian/

Spring is here and the earth is waking up, offering us gorgeous flower and delicious vegetables to add to our table. Here are a few tales to add to your story garden.

The Gardener and the Manor by Hans Christian Anderson

http://hca.gilead.org.il/gardener.html

Petrosinella (Parsley) – Italian Fairy tale by written by Giambattista Basile.

http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/rapunzel/stories/petros.html

The Spring Beauty – Chippewa Legend

http://tinyurl.com/4t4gv66

The Sprig of Rosemary from the Rose Fairy Book by Andrew Lang.

http://www.mythfolklore.net/andrewlang/425.htm

Story-lovers.com – Jackie Baldwin always has a crop of stories to share.

http://tinyurl.com/4j9tmev

Tenali Rama and the Brinjal – Folktale from India
http://tinyurl.com/6jo2g4p

The Tulip Bed – English Folktale

http://tinyurl.com/29grakc

Fools, Tricksters, Festivals and Spring - April and May are full of interesting holidays and celebrations: April Fool’s Day, Earth Day and Children’s Day in Japan are just a few. Back in April of 2009 I offered a blog post with stories and curriculum resources to help you celebrate any or all of these special days.
http://tinyurl.com/4qskmq2

Flowers, Fairytales and Folklore - April and May also bring back the flowers of spring. After a long harsh winter in the northeast of the United States they are always a welcome site. In May of 2010 I put together a blog post with stories and activities to welcome our colorful friends and celebrate spring.

http://tinyurl.com/4v72sxo

And if you missed any of the previous “Slow and Steady…” blog posts here are the links to the series so far.

2007

January February 2007
http://www.karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/06/slow-and-steady-wins-race-stor-e.html
March April 2007
http://www.karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/06/slow-and-steady-wins-race-stor-e_30.html
May June 2007
http://www.karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/07/slow-and-steady-wins-race-stor-e.html
July August 2007
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/07/slow-and-steady-wins-race-stor-e_15.html
September October 2007
http://www.karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/07/slow-and-steady-wins-race-stor-e_20.html
November December 2007
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/07/slow-and-steady-wins-race-stor-e_29.html

2008

January February 2008
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/08/slow-and-steady-wins-race-stor-e.html
March April 2008
http://www.karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/08/slow-and-steady-wins-race-stor-e_11.html
May June 2008
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/08/slow-and-steady-wins-race-may-june-2008.html
Summer 2008
http://www.karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/08/slow-and-steady-wins-race-stor-e_25.html
Fall 2008
http://www.karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/09/slow-and-steady-wins-race-stor-e.html

2009

January February 2009
http://www.karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/09/slow-and-steady-wins-race-stor-e_10.html
May June 2009
http://www.karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/09/slow-and-steady-wins-race-stor-e_14.html
July August 2009
http://www.karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/09/slow-and-steady-wins-race-stor-e_21.html
September October 2009
http://www.karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/09/slow-and-steady-wins-race-stor-e_29.html
November December 2009
http://www.karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/10/slow-and-steady-wins-race-stor-e.html

2010

January February 2010
http://www.karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/10/slow-and-steady-wins-race-stor-e_13.html

April May 2010
http://www.karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/10/slow-and-steady-wins-race-stor-e_28.html
July August 2010
http://www.karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/11/slow-and-steady-stor-e-telling-july.html
September October 2010
http://www.karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/11/slow-and-steady-stor-e-telling.html
November December 2010
http://www.karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/11/slow-and-steady-wins-race-stor-e.html

2011

January February 2011

http://www.karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/11/slow-and-steady-stor-e-telling-january.html

Karen Chace 2013 ©

This blog post was researched and compiled by Karen Chace. Permission for private use is granted. Distribution, either electronically or on paper is prohibited without my expressed written permission. For permission please contact me at storybug@aol.com. Of course, if you wish to link to my blog via your website, blog, newsletter, Facebook page or Twitter please feel free to do so; I greatly appreciate your support and personal integrity.

Slow and Steady: Stor e Telling January February 2011

Tortoise and Hare
from Children's Illustrations, 1880

I have penned the Stor E Telling column since January of 2002 and the articles from 2002-2006 are the publications page of my website found here http://tinyurl.com/llnn47y . I will be adding the columns from 2007 to 2012 to that page as well. However, I am in the process of checking what link URL's have changed or are now defunct. It is a time consuming process so I am taking the “slow and steady” approach via Aesop and will post the individual columns on my blog for now.

I will not be adding current columns until the following year, so if you want immediate access to the newest websites, consider becoming a member of the National Storytelling Network.

Please feel free to comment on the blog and let me know if you find this useful.

JANUARY FEBRUARY 2011

This issue focuses on storytelling and music, a wonderful combination. I offer you some sites to help you hit all the right notes!

American Ballads and Songs – This book will be helpful to tellers and ballad singers. This book, published in 1922, is available as a free download

o   English and Scottish Ballads in America
o   Other Imported Ballads and Songs
o   Native Ballads and Songs
o   Ballads of: Criminals and Outlaws
o   Western Ballads and Songs
o   Miscellaneous Ballads and Songs
o   Dialogue, Nursery and Game Songs
http://tinyurl.com/2fhwvze

Contemplations from the Marianis Trench – Hundreds of ballads and folk songs from England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales and America. Also lyrics, background information and midi files so you can revel in the music while you surf.

http://www.contemplator.com/

Songs for Teaching - A great site to find songs for your stories that tie into curriculum guidelines. There are Teacher Tips, Lesson Plans and Guidelines for using music in the classroom including songs about everyday life, diversity and family. This is the place to be to put a smile on your face and a song in your heart!
http://www.songsforteaching.com/

Story-Lovers.com – As always, Jackie Baldwin has just what we need. Here is the link to the Books, Music and Stories page on her site; a triple treat!
http://tinyurl.com/25l7jed

Texas State Library and Archives Commission - Traditional songs, rhymes, fingerplays and games in Spanish and English.

http://tinyurl.com/3dbu7v

Tell Me A Story – From the King County Library System, librarians share their songs and fingerplays, some are accompanied by video.
http://tinyurl.com/35gtu3r

January 5, 2011 is National Bird Day. I offer some stories and information to help your imagination’s soar!

Birds As Symbol: A Flight Through Folktale and Poetry – Interesting paper focusing on how “birds are used symbolically to represent spirits or souls in folklore of various countries.”

http://tinyurl.com/33748ae

Bird Stories from Around the World - Fourteen tales I have collected through the years.

http://tinyurl.com/2cpab2j

The Chinese New Year begins on February 3 and 2011 is The Year of the Rabbit; some tales to add to your repertoire.

A Rabbit Story – Tibet 

http://www.sacred-texts.com/asia/tft/tft38.htm

Brer Rabbit and Tar Baby - USA

http://tinyurl.com/2fssknu

The Dance for Water or Rabbit’s Triumph – South Africa 

http://www.sacred-texts.com/afr/saft/sft20.htm

The Foolish Lion and the Clever Rabbit

http://tinyurl.com/2vv9nkt

Rabbit and Fox– Native American

http://tinyurl.com/29g29hq

The Rabbit and the Coyote - Mayan
http://tinyurl.com/ybn7he6

Rabbit Shots the Sun – Native American

http://tinyurl.com/36u3ukl

The Rabbit Throws Out His Sandal - Mayan

http://tinyurl.com/2uuzrqc
 

The Smiling Rabbit - Mexico

http://www.eagleservices.ca/1stlorette/Html/MexicoWeb/FolkTales.pdf

Storybug.net – Two previous posts on my blog about the Chinese NewYear in 2008 and 2009. While the stories are not about rabbit you will find information about the celebration that may be useful.

http://tinyurl.com/yfqejbk
http://tinyurl.com/ylxdd5l

Many of us will be “wearing the green” soon in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day so here’s a head start on finding some of the fairy folk!

Celtic Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs, 1892.

http://tinyurl.com/332obbr

The Fireside Stories of Ireland by Patrick Kennedy, 1870.

https://archive.org/details/firesidestories00kenngoog

Folk-Lore and Legends: Legends, Myths and Fairy Tales by Cathryn Wallace, 1910. http://tinyurl.com/ohozrbr

And if you missed any of the previous “Slow and Steady…” blog posts here are the links to the series so far.

2007

January February 2007
http://www.karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/06/slow-and-steady-wins-race-stor-e.html
March April 2007
http://www.karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/06/slow-and-steady-wins-race-stor-e_30.html
May June 2007
http://www.karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/07/slow-and-steady-wins-race-stor-e.html
July August 2007
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/07/slow-and-steady-wins-race-stor-e_15.html
September October 2007
http://www.karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/07/slow-and-steady-wins-race-stor-e_20.html
November December 2007
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/07/slow-and-steady-wins-race-stor-e_29.html

2008

January February 2008
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/08/slow-and-steady-wins-race-stor-e.html
March April 2008
http://www.karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/08/slow-and-steady-wins-race-stor-e_11.html
May June 2008
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/08/slow-and-steady-wins-race-may-june-2008.html
Summer 2008
http://www.karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/08/slow-and-steady-wins-race-stor-e_25.html
Fall 2008
http://www.karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/09/slow-and-steady-wins-race-stor-e.html

 

2009 

January February 2009
http://www.karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/09/slow-and-steady-wins-race-stor-e_10.html
May June 2009
http://www.karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/09/slow-and-steady-wins-race-stor-e_14.html
July August 2009
http://www.karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/09/slow-and-steady-wins-race-stor-e_21.html
September October 2009
http://www.karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/09/slow-and-steady-wins-race-stor-e_29.html
November December 2009
http://www.karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/10/slow-and-steady-wins-race-stor-e.html

 

2010

January February 2010
http://www.karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/10/slow-and-steady-wins-race-stor-e_13.html

April May 2010
http://www.karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/10/slow-and-steady-wins-race-stor-e_28.html
July August 2010
http://www.karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/11/slow-and-steady-stor-e-telling-july.html
September October 2010
http://www.karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/11/slow-and-steady-stor-e-telling.html
November December 2010
http://www.karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/11/slow-and-steady-wins-race-stor-e.html

 

Karen Chace 2013 ©

This blog post was researched and compiled by Karen Chace. Permission for private use is granted. Distribution, either electronically or on paper is prohibited without my expressed written permission. For permission please contact me at storybug@aol.com. Of course, if you wish to link to my blog via your website, blog, newsletter, Facebook page or Twitter please feel free to do so; I greatly appreciate your support and personal integrity.

 

 

 

Hanukkah: The Jewish Festival of Lights

Hanukkah Celebration
18th Century
~ Anon

Hanukkah begins November 27 and ends on December 5 this year.

~ Hanukkah (also known as Chanukah) is the Jewish Festival of Lights and lasts eight days. The Hebrew word Hanukkah means "dedication.

~ Hanukkah commemorates the Miracle of the Oil.

~ During Hanukkah, people exchange gifts and give to the poor and needy.

~ The festival is observed by the kindling of the lights of a unique  nine-branched Menorah or Hanukiah, one additional light on each night of the holiday, progressing to eight on the final night.

~ The reason for the Hanukkah lights is not for the "lighting of the house within", but rather for the "illumination of the house without," so that passersby should see it and be reminded of the holiday's miracle

~ After lighting the candles and Ma'oz Tzur, singing other Hanukkah songs is customary in many Jewish homes. 

Information found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanukkah .

 

STORIES

Jewish folktales, legends and fairy tales to honor this religious holiday.

The Three Laughs

http://tinyurl.com/yhkcjr4

Loosening the Stopper
http://tinyurl.com/ygjb7vf

The Clotheslines

http://tinyurl.com/yddpue4

Defending His Property

http://tinyurl.com/yze47uq

A Special Gift

http://tinyurl.com/y9efvq4

A Collection of Wisdom – Jewish Folktales

http://www.rodneyohebsion.com/jewish-folktales.htm

Jewish Fairy Tales and  Legends by Gertrude Landa, 1919.  “This book is based on tales from the Talmud and Midrash. While some of the themes are familiar from fairy-tales and folklore from other traditions, the stories in this collection are infused with the perennial Jewish struggle for survival and dignity, as well as a large helping of gentle humor.”

http://www.sacred-texts.com/jud/jftl/index.htm

The Golden Mountain by Meyer Levin, 1932. “This is a collection of tales of the Eastern European Hassidic Jews, centering on the holy men Baal Shem Tov and Rabbi Nachman of Bratzlaw.” http://www.sacred-texts.com/jud/gm/index.htm

Tales From the Past – Midrash and Chassidic stories, fables, parables and more.

http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/109851/jewish/Tales-from-the-Past.htm
 

BOOKS

Jewish Book Council
http://www.jewishbookcouncil.org/subject-reading-list/jewish-folktales

CRAFTS

A variety of crafts, activities and coloring pages for Hanukkah can be found at these three sites.

DKTK-KIDS
http://www.dltk-kids.com/world/jewish/hanukah.htm

Apples 4 the Teacher
http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/hanukkah/kids-crafts/

MSN Living – Additional crafts for the entire family.
http://living.msn.com/family-parenting/raising-kids/10-easy-hanukkah-crafts-to-make-with-kids#1

CURRICULUM

 

 

Education World – Hanukkah Activities Across the Curriculum

http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson040.shtml

 

Teacher Vision – Lesson plans, Art,  Music activities and more.

https://www.teachervision.com/hanukkah/teacher-resources/6627.html

SONGS

Hanukkah Songs and Lyrics

http://judaism.about.com/od/holidays/a/Hanukkah-Songs-Lyrics.htm 

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
 
History.com -  History of Hanukkah
http://www.history.com/topics/Hanukkah


Folksingers Peter, Paul and Mary sing _Light One Candle__.

 

 

 

 

Karen Chace 2013 ©

This blog post was researched and compiled by Karen Chace. Permission for private use is granted. Distribution, either electronically or on paper is prohibited without my expressed written permission. For permission please contact me at storybug@aol.com. Of course, if you wish to link to my blog via your website, blog, newsletter, Facebook page or Twitter please feel free to do so; I greatly appreciate your support and personal integrity.

Slow and Steady Wins the Race: Stor e Telling November December 2010

Tortoise and Hare
from Childhood Favorites
and Fairy Tales
1909

I have penned the Stor E Telling column since January of 2002 and the articles from 2002-2006 are the publications page of my website found here http://tinyurl.com/llnn47y . I will be adding the columns from 2007 to 2012 to that page as well. However, I am in the process of checking what link URL's have changed or are now defunct. It is a time consuming process so I am taking the “slow and steady” approach via Aesop and will post the individual columns on my blog for now.

I will not be adding current columns until the following year, so if you want immediate access to the newest websites, consider becoming a member of the National Storytelling Network.

Please feel free to comment on the blog and let me know if you find this useful.

November/December 2010      

Prevent Your Work From Being Stolen – Understand US Copyright Laws.

http://tinyurl.com/23sg399

What to Do When Someone Steals Your Work
http://tinyurl.com/3xmjddx

Diwali, celebrated this year on November 5, is also known as the Festival of Lights. I offer you some story sites from Eastern India to help you celebrate.

Indian Fairy Tales - Twenty-nine tales from Joseph Jacobs.

http://tinyurl.com/6l3956

Hitopadesha Tales - A compilation of short stories following the pattern of prose and verse. 

http://tinyurl.com/24vvn29

Jataka Tales - These fables, written in 300 B.C. were intended to impart values of self-sacrifice, morality, honesty and other values.
http://tinyurl.com/36o6cg3

Panchatantra Tales - A legendary collection of short stories from India composed in the 2nd century B.C. “The purpose behind the composition was to implant moral values and governing skills in the young sons of the king.”
http://tinyurl.com/23hpacy

Stop the Violence Day is November 22, 2010. Here are some sites to use in the classroom and beyond.

Cyberbullying.org – From our friend in Canada, a useful website with related resources. http://www.cyberbullying.org/

Education World - Many sites and resources to use in the classroom and community to help eradicate bullying.

http://tinyurl.com/26r2l48

Seeds of Peace -"A non-profit, non-political organization dedicated to preparing teenagers from areas of conflict with the leadership skills required to promote coexistence and peace. Their outreach program also includes a Conflict Resolution CD Rom which is used in both Israeli and Palestinian schools. They also publish The Olive Branch, an online magazine to further their work in the world.” 

http://www.seedsofpeace.org/

Story-Lovers.com – Jackie Baldwin offers a collection of stories, books, and more to assist you in presenting an anti-bullying program.

http://tinyurl.com/34jazlr

Education World – The site offers a vast number of links on how to deal with bullying. Lesson plans, activities and more.

http://tinyurl.com/26r2l48

Unlocking the Classroom: The Storytelling Project’s Anti-racism Curriculum

“…developed at Barnard and in NYC schools and includes over 30 lessons for high school students that include arts-based storytelling activities to discuss racism.”
http://tinyurl.com/25zwa8r

St. Lucia Day in Sweden is celebrated on December 13. It is also known as The Festival of Lights, representing the triumph of light over the winter darkness. Here are some tales to enjoy as you gather around the fire.

Swedish Fairy Tales and Legends – Fifty six stories to enjoy.
http://tinyurl.com/26qk4jp

The Swedish Fairy Book – Twenty eight fairy tales.
http://www.worldoftales.com/Swedish_folktales.html

Story-lovers.com – You can always count on Jackie Baldwin and her website to have story sources on any subject and Swedish stories are no exception.

http://tinyurl.com/2amnaq9

Christmas Traditions Worldwide – From History.com a vast collection of Christmas traditions, its history with additional information on Christmas carols.

http://tinyurl.com/359sebx

Storybug.net – A collection of Christmas sites I have gathered through the years.

http://tinyurl.com/35qlryj

Origami Resource Center – Step-by-step instructions on how to make a lovely Christmas tree to add to your storytelling or classroom programs.

http://tinyurl.com/3xx5udj

Miscellaneous

 

Since we can never have enough animal stories in our repertoire a free, downloadable book filled with stories from China, Africa, India and more.

Animal Folk Tales – by Anne A. Stanley, published in 1916, now available via Google books.

http://tinyurl.com/36dswh3

 

And if you missed any of the previous “Slow and Steady…” blog posts here are the links to the series so far.

 

2007

January February 2007
http://www.karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/06/slow-and-steady-wins-race-stor-e.html
March April 2007
http://www.karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/06/slow-and-steady-wins-race-stor-e_30.html
May June 2007
http://www.karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/07/slow-and-steady-wins-race-stor-e.html
July August 2007
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/07/slow-and-steady-wins-race-stor-e_15.html
September October 2007
http://www.karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/07/slow-and-steady-wins-race-stor-e_20.html
November December 2007
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/07/slow-and-steady-wins-race-stor-e_29.html

2008

January February 2008
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/08/slow-and-steady-wins-race-stor-e.html
March April 2008
http://www.karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/08/slow-and-steady-wins-race-stor-e_11.html
May June 2008
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/08/slow-and-steady-wins-race-may-june-2008.html
Summer 2008
http://www.karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/08/slow-and-steady-wins-race-stor-e_25.html
Fall 2008
http://www.karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/09/slow-and-steady-wins-race-stor-e.html

2009

January February 2009
http://www.karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/09/slow-and-steady-wins-race-stor-e_10.html
May June 2009
http://www.karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/09/slow-and-steady-wins-race-stor-e_14.html
July August 2009
http://www.karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/09/slow-and-steady-wins-race-stor-e_21.html
September October 2009
http://www.karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/09/slow-and-steady-wins-race-stor-e_29.html
November December 2009
http://www.karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/10/slow-and-steady-wins-race-stor-e.html

January February 2010
http://www.karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/10/slow-and-steady-wins-race-stor-e_13.html

April May 2010

http://www.karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/10/slow-and-steady-wins-race-stor-e_28.html

July August 2010
http://www.karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/11/slow-and-steady-stor-e-telling-july.html
September October 2010
http://www.karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/11/slow-and-steady-stor-e-telling.html

 

Karen Chace 2013 ©

This blog post was researched and compiled by Karen Chace. Permission for private use is granted. Distribution, either electronically or on paper is prohibited without my expressed written permission. For permission please contact me at storybug@aol.com. Of course, if you wish to link to my blog via your website, blog, newsletter, Facebook page or Twitter please feel free to do so; I greatly appreciate your support and personal integrity.

 

 

 

Are You Ruining Your Reputation with Recommendations?

“It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.”  ~ Warren Buffett

Earlier this year my colleague Jack shared a tale of his endorsement gone awry. One of his clients requested a recommendation for a teaching residency. He gave the request careful consideration and felt comfortable endorsing an associate.

Things quickly went downhill from there. It began badly with the teaching artist’s failure to contact the client in a timely manner. Strike one.  No contract was sent outlining the artist’s expectations and no follow through with the requested residency plans. Strike two. During the first week of the residency the teaching artist publicly complained about specific problems to the wrong people. Strike three.

The client contacted Jack to share his displeasure regarding the recommendation. Jack was extremely embarrassed by his colleagues’ lack of professionalism and apologized profusely. Then he began to worry. Would the client’s negative experience affect his own reputation and work in the community? Jack had certainly given a hearty endorsement of his colleagues’ skills, background and expertise. Would his opinion no longer be valued?

Jack’s experience reminded me of the many times I have recommended colleagues. I know when I offer an endorsement I am placing my own professional reputation on the line. I am thoughtful about whom I recommend and part of my process is not only considering a colleague’s talent and organizational fit, but their professionalism as well.

Establishing positive name recognition (See Branding: It Doesn’t Have to Hurt http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2009/07/branding-it-doesnt-need-to-hurt.html) can take years and it is one of our most valuable commodities; in fact, it is priceless. Yet, our progress can quickly diminish when our name is attached to someone's less than stellar work, and with the plethora of social media outlets today bad reviews will spread quickly and efficiently. . (See 10 Tips for Crisis Management in the Digital World in the article section below.)

I’m sure you have heard of the Five P’s of Success: Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance and before I endorse anyone I check my own list of P’s.

My Five P’s of Professionalism

ü  Proficient
ü  Prepared
ü  Prompt
ü  Pleasant
ü  Polished

My check list for my direct clients as well as those that come from colleagues is the same:

ü  Answer the client’s email inquiry promptly.

ü  Speak directly with the client to ensure both of our needs are met.
ü  Send out contract in a timely manner detailing cost, mileage, etc.
ü  Contact client a week before the presentation. Clarify objectives.
ü  Send a thank you note to the client after the project is complete.

My colleagues and I often discuss how storytellers/teaching artists are not always treated with the same respect as other professionals. There are countless stories of potential clients assuming we will work for little or no money. Many do not understand the commitment, energy, and expense our work entails. (See The Tools of the Trade at http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2011/09/the-tools-of-trade.html ) Consequently, when one colleague acts in an unreliable manner it reflects poorly on everyone, perpetuating the perception that we are not professionals.

When we are privileged to receive a colleague’s endorsement, both your reputation and theirs is on the line. We owe it to them, our community and mostly to ourselves, to put our best professional foot forward. Together we can change perceptions one step at a time.

*Jack is a pseudonym

ARTICLES

4 Ways to Keep Up Your Business’ Online Reputation

http://blog.allstate.com/small-business-online-reputation/

Seven Ways to Ruin Your Professional Reputation

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2013/01/14/seven-ways-to-ruin-your-professional-reputation/

10 Tips for Crisis Management in the Digital World

http://www.forbes.com/sites/ekaterinawalter/2013/11/12/10-tips-for-reputation-and-crisis-management-in-the-digital-world/

Handling a Reputation Crisis: Ways an Entrepreneur Can Handle Social Media Posts

http://www.forbes.com/sites/drewhendricks/2013/11/08/handling-a-reputation-crisis-ways-an-entrepreneur-can-handle-social-media-posts/

How to Ruin Your Professional Reputation

http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2013/05/20/how-to-ruin-your-professional-reputation

Reputation: You Can’t Run From Your Shadow

http://www.franksonnenbergonline.com/blog/you-cant-run-from-your-shadow/


Was there ever a time when one of your recommendations went awry? How did you handle it? I would love to hear your stories in the comments section below.

Karen Chace 2013 ©

This blog post was researched and compiled by Karen Chace. Permission for private use is granted. Distribution, either electronically or on paper is prohibited without my expressed written permission. For permission please contact me at storybug@aol.com. Of course, if you wish to link to my blog via your website, blog, newsletter, Facebook page or Twitter please feel free to do so; I greatly appreciate your support and personal integrity.