Walk Into the Future

Category: Mentoring

  • Poetic Flow: Living Life

    bunch of small flowers on a book
    Photo by Wallace Chuck on Pexels.com

    The enemy within causes a majority of problems

    Thoughts provoked by fear

    The anger is near

    Constant give and take

    What type of life to make?

    Pulling one way, then the next

    The pendulum of life continues to swing

    What might tomorrow bring?

    Thanks to my Walk into the Future blog readers for a great 2024! I’m looking forward to 2025 being the best blog year yet. Stay tuned for more travel, fun and training articles. Guest bloggers will make a few appearances in 2025 as well! 😊

    Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! See you in 2025!

    Irie!

  • 4th Annual Fall Fun Fest

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    “If work isn’t fun, you’re not playing on the right team.”

    (Frank Sonenburg)

    Work hard and play hard is an old saying but we are getting a lot of use out of it daily.

    My Walk into the Future provides multiple outlets for me to live life daily. I leverage this blog to record and share these adventures with my readers.

    The newest adventure was the 4th Annual Fall Fun Fest at work. We started this tradition back in October 2021 with an 80’s themed dance party.  I did not think my coworkers would dress the part or even dance at work, but I was wrong. Our folks know how to have fun and are always looking for the next time to party at work.

    It took a while to produce the 2024 theme for our event, but we decided to make this year Dynamic Duos with Karaoke. We never force people to join in, but it helps when Vice Presidents get into the event, dress in costume, and have fun. We also learned that a lot of our colleagues love karaoke and could not wait to sing at work again this year. FYI, participants did not have to sing karaoke as a duo, but several did. We continue to discover talented singers from around campus and this year was no exception.

    My VP (Beth) and I agreed to dress as the Saturday Night Live (SNL) Spartan Cheerleaders this year:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SErOdLSlpkE

    We agreed to become this duo back in June and ordered matching outfits via Amazon. Yes, we take this work party seriously. Beth insisted that we match completely so she purchased matching sneakers for me to ensure we were completely in character. 😊 Our routines did not have a karaoke theme, but we wanted to entertain the audience and get them ready to have fun. We planned to perform as the opening act before the singers got started with karaoke. Most people knew we were up to something but never imagined that I would dress as a Spartan Cheerleader and perform multiple routines in my outfit. Well, Beth continues to convince me to do things out of character and it is fun. 😊

    We started with a little skit to welcome everyone to the 4th Annual Fall Fun Fest. We incorporated memories from the previous 3 Fall Fun Fest activities. This was a fantastic way to break the ice for the group and gave us time to get into character. This skit led us to perform The Perfect Cheer which was made famous by Will Ferrell and Cheri Oteri as the Spartan Cheerleaders on SNL (starts at 3:36 mark:  https://www.tiktok.com/@matt.gizmo.yerke/video/7287395646066249002?lang=en)

    The karaoke machine kicked in once the Spartan Cheerleaders were done. Again, we have some talented folks on our staff and the singing was outstanding. Several folks hit the stage multiple times to entertain the crowd. We had to adjust the song format a bit when we kept getting songs from musicals. I have nothing against these types of songs but the energy level in the building went down with slow and dramatic musical songs. I will implement a party anthem only concept in 2025 to help keep the crowd moving.

    I am not sure of the theme we will have next year, but it should be another epic adventure for the team. 😊

    What do you do for fun at work?

    Irie!

    “It is not really work if you are having fun.”

    (Pierre Omidyar)

  • Five Minute Thursday: 51st Student Leadership Conference

    “Learn from yesterday.  Live for today.  Hope for tomorrow.”.

    (Albert Einstein)original_46c05165-dbd9-4075-aff6-9174019f7efe_20241004_103953

    The Five-Minute Thursday writing prompt is back for another run.  My friend Maria likes the concise nature of this writing prompt, so I decided to bring it back. 😊

    I take pride in my Authentic Leadership work and share with anyone who will sit down to listen to me.  I have worked with the Indian River State College Student Government Association (SGA) over the past four years.  My work with these students centers on student development and leadership.  The students are eager to learn, and this inspires me to work with them more.

    My fifth prompt for Five Minute Thursday is: The 51st Student Leadership Conference.

    I was approached by the organizers of the leadership conference to help students with their professional journey.  The theme for this year was: Perseverance Towards Excellence.  The intent was to provide students with foundational information to help them develop skills to move them forward.  I have presented leadership workshops with these students in the past, but the organizers asked me to focus on life after graduation, the world of work.

    I decided to focus on The First 90 Days on the Job for my presentation.  I’ve had this content in my professional speaking library and modernized the content for this conference. 

    Most of the students know me from around campus and I was surprised with the number of students that attended my session.  The students identified learning how to become professionals was an important skill they wanted to learn so that’s why they picked my session.

    Areas we covered during the session:

    • Understand Organizational Culture
      • Communication modes and formalities
      • Dress and appearance expectations
      • Work hours
    • Positive Work Behavior
      • Review employee handbook
      • Maintain professional demeanor (happy hours, social events)
      • Ready to learn and strong work ethic
    • Build Effective Relationships
      • Find a mentor
      • Align with positive colleagues
      • Create goals

    The students were receptive to these points and seemed eager to put these in play.  I’m always excited to help students develop as young adults.  This session will help them as they enter the world of work.

    What points would you share with our students?

    Irie!

  • 2024 Outrun Hunger 5k

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    “Running isn’t about being the best; it’s about pursuing your personal best”.

    (Runkeeper)

    My Walk into the Future allows me to pursue adventures in multiple ways.

    Running is one of the ways I found 12 years ago, and I have not looked back. 

    I started running Orlando Track Shack and Front Running Sports races when I moved to Oviedo, Florida from Warner Robins, Georgia back in October 2010.  I never thought the local 5ks in Orlando would lead me to become a running tourist and multi-time marathoner.  Big things start with small steps.

    I have focused on the half marathon as my preferred distance over the past 4 years but still lace up my running shoes for 5ks.  The Treasure Coast running community is not as large and visible as the Orlando running community.  We have races but they are not as large as the Track Shack productions and most don’t have beer at the finish line.  It seems like a small thing, but true runners are looking for beer and donuts once we cross the finish line.  I still run a few local races but find ways to travel to the Orlando area for Track Shack events.

    The Treasure Coast Food Bank hosts a September 5k and I have run this one for the past three years.  It’s a small race but it is a great way to help stock the local food bank to help our residents with food insecurity needs.  I also leverage this 5k as a speed session to help me prepare for longer races.  This year the 5k fit nicely into the Chicago Marathon training program and allowed me to test my fitness and work to get faster leg turnover. 

    The race starts and ends at Causeway Cove on Hutchingson Island in Fort Pierce.  This location makes it easy to get in and out without a ton of traffic or waiting around when the race is over.  I also park on the mainland side of the Seaway Drive bridge and use the bridge as a warmup before the race.  I get a slow jog in crossing the bridge and then stretch once I make it to Causeway Cove.

    Again, it’s a small race crowd so I normally post up in the middle of the starting pack to avoid undue stress moving through runners.  I didn’t enter with a specific finish time in mind but wanted to go faster than my last 5k back in August (Celebration of Running 5k).  Always surprised I don’t know many people in these races even though I live in Fort Pierce—this is not a tight running community.

    My goal was to run a controlled race without much deviation between each mile split.  I’m happy with my finish time of 28:29 which equals 9:10 per mile.  This was a faster time and splits than my Celebration of Running 5k outing.  I ran the entire 5k with a smile on my face because the pace felt good, and I knew I could maintain this for additional miles.  I didn’t feel the need to push much faster considering this was a 12-mile training day as part of my Chicago Marathon training program.  I was surprised to see that I won my age group for this race.  I have placed in the Top 3 of this race in the past but this was the first time I was the ‘Top Old Dude’. 😊  I decided to stick around the race village to collect my additional award and get some extra pictures taken on the top step of the podium.

    I took my prizes and headed back over the bridge.  I still needed to get in an additional 9 miles to complete my long run training for the day.

    Feeling good about my mental and physical fitness as the 2024 Chicago Marathon draws closer.

    Irie!

  • Playdoh into the Future!

    “If work isn’t fun, you’re not playing on the right team”.

    (Pinterest Pin)

    What’s your fondest memory of Playdoh?

    This is not a trick question but one I have been asking people in my orbit lately.  Why?  Great question!

    I purchased a can of Playdoh one day on a trip to Dollar Tree on a whim.  Thought it would be fun to have around the house and to make forms in between laying down tracks for the Walk into the Future blog. Well, after two weeks I had not opened the Playdoh and decided to take it to work as a simple distraction in between meetings. I placed it on my desk with designs to pull it out when needed to have a little extra fun at work.

    The first time the Playdoh came out was an impromptu meeting. My Vice President and another Associate Vice President were in my office catching up on things that happened on campus.  The meeting was sidetracked as soon as they saw I had Playdoh in my office.  We immediately grabbed a handful of Playdoh and started forming shapes.  The funny thing with this process is we had the most productive meeting we’ve had in a long time while forming Playdoh.

    I didn’t know if the Playdoh and productive meeting was a coincidence, so I doubled down and purchased more and brought it to work.  I let people who enter my office select their preferred Playdoh color and take it back to their offices.  I also let them know they have to bring their Playdoh back with them if they need to speak or meet with me.  Yes, I’ve mandated Playdoh play dates at work! 😊

    Again, I have been surprised with the productivity we have been able to get since Playdoh was introduced into the work environment.  I started as something we did in my office, but I started traveling to other meetings with a bag full of Playdoh.  I place the cans on the table and let my colleagues select a color and we form shapes while solving the world’s problems.  The shapes I created were not very artistic, but I quickly discovered I needed to step up my game because my colleagues have Playdoh skills.  I’ve watched folks make some outstanding shapes and characters during our sessions.  The productivity of our meetings remains high, and we are having fun with the process. 

    Here are a few of the shapes created in our sessions:

    So, why do YOU think Playdoh has been such a success in my work environment?

    My take is most of us were introduced to Playdoh at a young age and these happy memories translate directly to how we remember the smell, feel and form of Playdoh as adults.  Simple concept—Playdoh reminds us of a simpler time in our lives and we didn’t have a worry in the world.  These memories all come back to us as soon as we open a can of Playdoh in the work environment.  Happy people = productive people!

    I’m looking to purchase a larger selection of Playdoh colors to bring into the work environment.  It may seem like a small gesture, but our productivity has gone up and we are having fun with the Playdoh!  Not sure how long this phenomenon will last but I’m enjoying it daily! 😊

    What are your memories of Playdoh?

    Irie!

    “Work hard, have fun, and make history”.

    (Jeff Bezos)

  • First Day of School Vibes!

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    “The first day of school is the beginning of a new chapter in life”.

    (Unknown)

    What’s the best that can happen?  This is one of my new mantras for 2024.  I started leveraging this within the work environment and decided to expand to the Walk into the Future blog.

    This is a simple question with the potential for huge returns in daily life and activities.

    I decided to bring this concept to life for the first day of the 2024 – 2025 academic year.  The first day is always filled with excitement and the promise of big things happening with campus partners, students and employers looking to hire talent.

    I made a promise to one of my friends to wear a tuxedo on the first day of classes last year.  We laughed at the concept at the time but agreed we would rock tuxedos and walk around so students could see how great we looked.  This would have been out of character for both of us, so we were sure to get some weird looks and questions from students, faculty and staff.  Why are you wearing tuxedos to work? Well, the first day of school came and went last year but I did not wear my tuxedo as planned.  My friend Frank passed away unexpectedly, and I didn’t feel right wearing my tuxedo.  I didn’t want to have to explain why I was wearing the tuxedo—thought it was too soon to complete the agreement and didn’t want others to feel bad.

    So, fast forward to this year and my mindset has changed.  What’s the best that can happen?  Wearing the tuxedo was a great way to honor the agreement I made with Frank and put a smile on the face of others.  Not many people knew about the agreement so my tuxedo entrance at work caught a few people off guard in a good way.

    The ironic aspect of my first day of school outfit was the impact it had on different generations. 

    People close to my age focused on the tuxedo, my shirt and tie.  They were extremely complimentary of my formal outfit and how it made me stand out. 

    What’s the best that can happen?  The students had a completely different view of my outfit.  I decided to add a little flair to my outfit by rocking blue and white Air Jordan 1’s instead of formal dress shoes.  Wanted to have fun with the outfit and the Air Jordan 1’s gave me a way to enhance my outfit and create conversations at the same time.

    Students that never would have approached me kept coming up to introduce themselves and ask me about my J’s (that’s what young people call Jordan Brand shoes).  Had no idea what they were talking about but played it off since they were interested in talking to me.  The students did not view me as an Associate Vice President but a fellow sneaker head who likes to wear formal clothing while rocking J’s. 😊  The day was filled with smiles, laughter and bonding over my decision to finally wear my tuxedo to work. 

    My colleagues were curious as to why I was wearing a tuxedo to work and were understanding when I told them the true reason why I wore the tuxedo.  I decided it was time to honor an agreement I made, and they fully supported it once I let them in on the secret.

    What’s the best that can happen on the first day of school?  Rocking a tuxedo with J’s is a great way to get multiple generations talking and sharing experiences.  I had the most fun just walking around and saying hello to people—the outfit seemed to disarm folks and made them want to chat.

    The experience was great for me and I’m happy I completed the pledge.  Will I rock a tuxedo again next year?  Yep, I will bring the outfit out again to connect with the next wave of students.  What’s the best that can happen?  You decide!

    Irie!

    “The first day of school is a blank page in the journey of education”.

    (Unknown)

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  • Five Minute Thursday: Favorite teacher

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    “My teacher gave me the best gift of all…believing in me”.

    (Unknown)

    The Five-Minute Thursday writing prompt has been a fun detour with my blog writing. Never thought I would enjoy a scripted prompt this much, but it has become a staple writing exercise for me.

    So, let’s give the Five-Minute Thursday writing prompt another run.  Not sure if I shared this in an earlier post but I am a proficient typist.  I signed up for 10th grade Typing 1 class with designs to meet girls in high school.  Turns out the skills I learned in this class as a 15-year-old have propelled my professional life and opened numerous doors for me.  I would not be able to crank out weekly blog posts without the ability to type and put my thoughts down. I type as fast as I think so getting a lot of content completed is an easy task for me.  Never imagined my attempt to meet girls in high school would provide me with a skill that helped me separate from my peers.

    My fifth prompt for Five Minute Thursday is:  My Favorite teacher—Mattie Fouraker.

    I officially met Mrs. Fouraker in the 10th grade, and she was my typing teacher.  She took a special interest in me and decided that I would learn how to type well in the year we had together.  She also decided that I was not in her class to meet young ladies and put me on the far end of her class so my interactions would be limited.  She made a point to get onto anyone who distracted me while I was in her class.  This set-up created a typing incubator that allowed me to thrive in her class and taught me a valuable skill that I leverage daily.  I was recognized as the best typist in class with a 65 words per minute with 99% accuracy rating—not bad for someone in class just to meet girls. 😊  Our football coach always made a point to identify I had the best hands on the football team—not bad for a wide receiver.

    Mrs. Fouraker made a point to keep taps on me throughout the rest of my time in high school.  She always made me feel special and provided life advice on the best way forward.  I never took another class with her, but she continued to mentor me daily.  I progressed to Typing 2 the following year but did not enjoy the class as much because I was just another student to the teacher in that class.  My typing skill level remained sharp based on the tools Mrs. Fouraker helped me develop in my time with her.

    Our relationship continued during my time in the Air Force.  We shared cards and letters over the years that helped us stay connected over the decades.  She remains one of my biggest advocates and follows the Walk into the Future blog weekly.  I will visit her when time permits when I return home to Jasper, Florida.  Mrs. Fouraker lives one town over in White Springs, Florida and it puts a smile on my face when I stop by.

    Amazing what a teacher that believes in you can do to propel your life forward!

    Thanks, Mrs. Fouraker for guiding me over the years! 😊

    Who is your favorite teacher?  Do they know that?

    Irie!

    “The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery”.

    (Mark Van Doren)

  • IRSC River Talk

    River Talk

    “If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else”.

    (Booker T. Washington)

    My Walk into the Future continues to provide me with opportunities for growth. These growth opportunities are leveraged to create additional tree branches (mentees).

    My latest adventure was a partnership to return to the IRSC River Talk show to share information about my areas of responsibility and to answer questions posed by the host.  I did a spot on River Talk maybe a year and a half ago.  It was still a new show on the IRSC Radio Network, and we covered a lot of ground for that show.

    River Talk has a new host, and she reached out to ask if I wanted to come back on the show to provide an update on my departments for her listeners.  I rarely say no to an opportunity to share information, so I agreed to a return engagement.

    Met the host in the radio studio a few minutes before we started recording.  She identified she had done some extensive research on me (LinkedIn, Blog, Leadership training) and was excited to learn more about me during the interview.  I thought this was going to be a standard interview about my work at IRSC, but it turned out to be that and a lot more.

    The format provided a platform for me to share information about my current role, leadership pursuits, training program, what brought me to IRSC and why I got into higher education.  The interview allowed me to reflect on my WHY and share this information with listeners.

    Areas covered:

    • My current role as Associate Vice President, Advising and Career Services
    • What brought me to IRSC and the Treasure Coast
    • My Air Force background
    • Authentic Leadership
    • Why I joined the Air Force
      • What did I learn about leadership?

    I’m sure I missed a few other topics from the interview. 😊

    Give the full interview a run here:  https://www.wqcs.org/rivertalk-at-indian-river-state-college/2024-08-08/dr-calvin-williams-associate-vice-president-of-advising-career-services-and-chief-retention-officer-at-indian-river-state-college

    Let me know your thoughts!

    Irie!

    “If everyone is moving forward together, then success will take care of itself”.

    (Henry Ford)

  • Authentic Leadership

    IRSC

    “Leaders lead”.

    (Calvin Williams)

    Yes, I’m starting the Walk into the Future blog post by quoting myself.  I’m not on a power kick or displaying an extraordinary amount of hubris. 

    This simple quote—Leaders lead has become a hash tag (#LeadersLead) that I hope with takeoff on multiple platforms.

    I introduced Authentic Leadership and my training program to my colleagues at Indian River State College (IRSC) in June.  I’ve leveraged Authentic Leadership within my consulting role with multiple organizations to include the Seminole Tribe of Florda and the St. Lucie County Tax Assessors office.  These sessions are designed to help organizations create leadership development programs to enhance employee opportunities and organizational growth.  I’ve chronicled my Authentic Leadership philosophy and training program through multiple blog articles. 

    We have been talking about leadership development benefits for IRSC staff for a while.  Decided it was time to introduce Authentic Leadership to campus partners to jumpstart leadership discussions and development.  I went back and forth over the best way to bring Authentic Leadership to campus because this would put me in front of my direct reports, peers and campus leadership.  Sounds simple but each group would need to understand Authentic Leadership from different perspectives.  This was a challenge and one I accepted head on—to make positive things happen.

    I went to my consulting workshop library to determine which topics I would use at IRSC.  Talking with colleagues and staff helped me identify topics of interest that would benefit the audience I would engage.  Decided to introduce the Authentic Leadership Theory and focus on the four variables within the theory.  The next topic would dig deeper into the variable of self-awareness.  The final workshop explored the concept of empowered leadership and the impact within the work environment.  The workshop series consisted of Authentic Leadership (2 workshops), The Self-Aware Leader (2 workshops) and Empowered Leadership as the finale.  Each workshop had a virtual component so folks on multiple campuses could log in and watch the workshops live or later via the recordings. 

    Authentic Leadership (AL)

    This workshop explores the 4 AL variables:  self-awareness, relational transparency, internalized moral perspective and balanced processing.  The workshop attendees were introduced to each variable to provide context and then we got down to business of understanding how each variable impacts direct reports and the work environment.  Love asking attendees the magical question:  Who are you?  This helps them understand we all bring something different into the work environment daily and how these differences can be leveraged towards positive outcomes.  Love helping folks develop a better understanding of themselves and how this impacts the work environment.  Self-view is something most people don’t think about but should do on the journey to becoming effective leaders. 

    The Self-Aware Leader

    This workshop is a deep dive into self-awareness and the importance this variable has on effective leadership.  My overarching goal for this workshop is to force leaders to understand themselves (Who are you?) and start understanding the impact on direct reports.  Leaders who are not self-aware build direct reports who are not self-aware.  This has a negative impact on the work environment and limits organizational growth.  I added a group exercise for this session to have attendees engage with each other and share information to help them understand the levels of diversity within our work environment.  The homework from this workshop was for attendees to identify ways they can/should improve their leadership skills.

    Empowered Leadership

    The grand finale for this workshop series was Empowered Leadership.  We explored the definition of empowerment and how this impacts leadership.  Attendees were challenged to identify ways they have been empowered within the work environment and ways to expand this towards positive outcomes.  Homework from this workshop centers on leveraging new knowledge within the work environment to enhance client and staff interactions.

    I will explore the concept of introducing additional topics to my colleagues.  Will take a small break from leadership training and get back to the world of student retention and completion.

    What’s your leadership style?  What impact does it have on your work environment?

    Irie!

    “Let no one ever come to you without leaving better”.

    (Mother Theresa)

    Note:  Organizations can contact me to explore opportunities to bring Authentic Leadership training to their teams.

  • NACE24

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    “Succeeding in business is all about making connections”.

    (Richard Branson)

    The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) annual conference was held in Phoenix, Arizona this year.  Last year was a defacto home conference since it was on the Disney properties in Orlando, Florida.  Loved the ease of travel last year but NACE24 was one of the best conferences I have attended.

    Why?  It’s all about location and opportunities.  I’m not a huge Disney fan and felt trapped to the property the way the conference was setup.  Also, there’s not a ton of afterhours entertainment for non-Disney fans. 

    Phoenix?  Tons of local entertainment, sports and food are available within a two-block radius.

    Flew out of Orlando airport directly to the Phoenix Sky Harbor airport.  I’ve been to Phoenix multiple times, but it was exciting to venture out west again.  Decided I didn’t need a car so booked the Super Shuttle service to get me to and from my hotel.  I’m a huge Marriott traveler so booked my hotel downtown Phoenix which was only two blocks from the Phoenix Convention Center which is where NACE24 was held.

    Did some exploring on my first day in town and walked around the city to take in the sights.  There were multiple police officers in front of the Footprint Center which is where the Phoenix Suns (NBA) and Phoenix Mercury (WNBA) basketball teams play.  I’ve never been to a WNBA game and was excited the Phoenix Mercury were in town and hosting a home game.  Made my way to the ticket counter and purchased a $20 general admission ticket.  Wanted to experience the environment but not spend a ton of money just to say I was there. 😊  The arena was packed, and the crowd was energized and helped the home team win in a blowout (15 points).

    Left the ball game and headed out to get some food. Found a funky spot called Copper Blues. It’s a restaurant with live music and free comedy shows on Sunday nights.  This was a perfect spot to post up at the bar and take in the culture.  Spent about 3 hours in Copper Blues before heading back to my hotel which was half a block over—things in Phoenix are close.

    NACE24 started on Monday with some preconference sessions and attendee check-in.  No need to rush over but didn’t want to spend a ton of time in the check-in line.  The keynote on Day 1 was Soledad O’Brien formerly of CNN.  She spoke at NACE in Chicago a few years ago and did a fantastic job.  Wanted to attend her session to learn more about her current media role and the value she places on education.

    NACE is all about networking and I was able to catch up with colleagues from all over the country.  Ran into my friend Sean Collins who currently works at FAMU in Tallahassee but used to work for me at Florida State University back in the day.  Connected with NACE Board members—the current CEO, Chair and incoming Chair are all friends of mine.  It was great running into them and planning some future projects together.  The NACE community is a tight knit group, and the incoming Chair has already reached out to me to lead the Sourcing and Nomination Committee—this group is charged with selecting new board members.  It will give me insight on the process and help my efforts for a future NACE board seat—fingers crossed! 😊

    The next two days were filled with networking, checking out vendors and attending after-work parties.  There’s a lot of food, drink and fun at NACE and Phoenix provided a nice backdrop for all these things.

    The final party was held at The Duce in the warehouse district.  One of the vendors reserved the venue and provided food, drinks and live music for NACE attendees.  It was great seeing my colleagues in a different light, and everyone was having a fantastic time.

    NACE25 will be in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania next year.  I will get a chance to see my friend, Lauren Apgar again when I get up there.  Excited for NACE25 and seeing my homey! 😊

    Irie!