Walk Into the Future

Tag: Mentoring

  • Authentic Leadership (IRSC series)

    “Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality”.

    (Warren Bennis)

    The Walk into the Future blog has a consistent focus on Authentic Leadership and the impact in the workplace.  My leadership consulting work is founded on Authentic Leadership principles and drives my daily interactions in the workplace.  My Walk into the Future readers should know I love a good quote by now.  Ok, here’s another one!

    “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives, and in his own land” (Mark 6:4).

    I have leveraged Authentic Leadership with my consulting organizations to help them develop their staff and engage them to seek positive work outcomes.  I continue to seek out additional consulting opportunities with local government agencies and will work with the Seminole Tribe of Florida again in early May.  Fun fact, the Seminole Tribe of Florida was my first Authentic Leadership client back in 2018.  I maintain an active vendor credential with the Tribe, but COVID-19 stopped our training momentum.  That changes in May! 😊

    So, why is the prophet quote above?  Great question, Lynn!

    I work with multiple organizations to help THEM improve the work environment, but I never introduced my Authentic Leadership program to my current organization, Indian River State College.

    Leadership training is normally a product of the Human Resources (HR) department at most educational institutions.  The University of Central Florida (UCF) and Florida State University (FSU) have robust leadership programs within the Organizational Development unit under HR.  I experienced firsthand how these consistent leadership programs enhanced the overall operational effectiveness on both campuses. 

    Fast forward and I decided to introduce my Authentic Leadership training program on my current campus.  I’m not saying I’m taking over the training program for my organization, but I have training materials that can and will help the organization grow. 

    I decided to schedule an Authentic Leadership series and invite campus partners and my staff to attend.  This was not an official consulting role (not paid) but I wanted to start making a difference in ‘my own land’.  No one called on me to do this, but I saw a need and had a platform to move us forward.

    The following workshops were scheduled with in-person and virtual options:

    • Authentic Leadership (2 times)
    • The Self-Aware Leader (2 times)
    • Empowered Leadership (1 time)

    I didn’t know how these workshops would be received in ‘my land’ but I was pleasantly surprised by the attendance and the level of participation.  There were several attendees who attended ALL the workshops even though I repeated two of the workshops—same material but the folks wanted to get more in-depth with the content.

    The biggest take away for me was the amount of interest and excitement for the attendees to create their personal WHY statement as part of their homework from the Empowered Leadership workshop.  The WHY statements were well conceived and addressed areas each attendee wanted to improve in their daily lives.  I felt like a proud papa reading the statements and saw my volunteer work making a difference in my work environment.  Not a surprising outcome considering I do this for outside organizations on a regular basis.

    Looks like you can be a prophet in your own land after all! 😊

    What areas can you impact in your own land?  Thanks!

    Irie!

    Calvin Williams

    “Every time you speak, you are auditioning for leadership”.

    (James Humes)

  • 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)

  • Five Minute Thursday: Inspiration

    inspirational quotes on a planner
    Photo by Bich Tran on Pexels.com

    “The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today”.

    (H. Jackson Brown)

    The Walk into the Future blog is back to give a run to the Five-Minute Thursday writing prompt.

    I am enjoying the freedom this writing prompt brings to me and let’s me explore topics to help continue to move forward.  I’ve also received good feedback on the writing prompt so I’m lining up additional topics to explore over the summer.

    My third prompt for Five Minute Thursday is:  Inspiration.

    My overall inspiration comes from leveraging my WHY statement:  To leave people better than when I found them.  Simple concept but it helps me Walk into the Future daily with purpose.

    I developed this WHY statement with intent to use it to help move forward in life.  It also provides me with an inspiration foundation to help others. 

    I had a high school guidance counselor who did not provide me with any advice for life after high school.  I’m sure I’m not the only person who got the short end of this counseling session, but I made a promise that I would help everyone that needed assistance based on the lack of help I received almost 40 years ago.

    My inspiration for this mindset is everyone deserves a path to meet their life and career goals. 

    I’ve joked about being Inspiration Man, but I take this moniker seriously.  I write this blog to inspire my readers.  I develop leadership workshops to inspire individuals and organizations.  I mentor a ton of people to inspire them to set and achieve goals.  I am an active member of the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) to inspire current and former team mates to do more within the organization.  I run to inspire myself to reach physical fitness goals.  I text Happy Monday and Happy Friday to my folks to inspire them to have a great day.  I also do this to let my folks know I’m thinking about them.  This has inspired several to return the favor to me and this makes me smile.

    Inspiration comes in multiple forms. What can YOU add to the Five-Minute Thursday inspiration conversation?

    Irie!

    “No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world”.

    (Robin Williams)

  • National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) 2023 Annual Conference

    NACE23

    “Continuous personal and professional development is your key to the future”.

    (Brian Tracy)

    The NACE22 conference was held in Portland, Oregon last year.  I chronicled my experience traveling out to Portland for the conference in a previous Walk into the Future article.  This was my first time in Portland so was excited to venture out and take in the sights.  NACE22 was also part of my professional development as I served as Co-Chair on the Mentoring Taskforce.  The role allowed me to present during the conference to share the activities the taskforce had worked on during the academic year.  FYI, we redesigned the NACE mentoring program to modernize how we recruit and onboard new mentors.  I was excited for the opportunity to network with my peers and share the hard work the taskforce completed to enhance our organization.

    Fast forward to 2023 and NACE23 was held in Orlando, Florida at the Disney World Swan, and Dolphin resort.  My travel itinerary was a lot less of a hassle than catching multiple connecting flights to get out and back to Portland.  My school saved a bunch of money by not having to fly me all the way to the west coast and back this year.

    Another bonus for me is I did not have to present this year, so I got a chance to enjoy myself while networking with friends from around the country.  The Career Services world is a tight knit bunch of professionals, and it was great getting a chance to see folks again.  The NACE conference provides a great platform for networking, and I made a point to talk with everyone I could.  Please note, this level of networking is needed for future growth within the organization.  I served on the Mentoring Taskforce because the NACE past-president reached out and asked me to Co-Chair because this was his passion project.  The incoming president made sure I knew she needed help with an upcoming committee and spent the week recruiting me to join her project as well.  It took a few follow-up meetings and calls, but I agreed to serve on one of her committees for the 2023 – 2024 year.  My end goal is to get a seat on the NACE Board of Directors soon and it helps to be connected to the right people.

    I’m not a huge Disney person but made sure to explore the Disney Boardwalk area for food, drinks, and night life.  I took advantage of the workout facilities located on the Swan side of the resort and got in a few training runs while on the property.

    Several of the NACE23 vendors host afternoon and evening networking sessions to connect with Career Services professionals.  These sessions are paid for by the vendors and they routinely provide food and drinks for all attendees.  Nice way to get a free meal, drinks and enjoy time with friends.  Yes, I made my way to as many of these networking sessions as possible. LOL.  

    A true highlight of the trip for me was a visit over to Disney Springs.  One of the vendors hosted a large event in an Irish Pub in Disney Springs.  I left one event with friends, and we decided to ride over to Disney Springs to enjoy the night life and hit the party at the Irish Pub. 

    Chef Art Smith’s Homcomin Restaurant is in Disney Springs and is world renowned for great food and atmosphere.  I need to make a full confession to my readers.  Art Smith is a world-famous chef and has cooked for Oprah Winfrey and a host of others.  Very impressive resume!  Also, Art is from Jasper, Florida which is my hometown.  He moved back to Jasper a few years back and is our most famous resident.  Where am I going with this?  Great question.  I texted Art before heading over to Disney Springs to get a reservation at his restaurant and he was great at getting me and three friends in on short notice.  Thanks Art!

    https://www.chefartsmith.com/

    The Homcomin menu has a ton of great options and I highly recommend making your way there when in the area.  I had Art’s Famous Fried Chicken and Sweet Tea moonshine.  My friends tried other items on the menu, and we all agreed this was the best food we had while in Orlando.  We got a treat with the Signature Sampler which has 3 of the best desserts you can find anywhere.  All were fantastic but the Hummingbird Cake is my favorite and will get that when I visit again.  Stop and see my friend Art when visiting Disney Springs—you will thank me for the recommendation!

    http://www.homecominkitchen.com/pdf/Homecomin-Menu.pdf

    http://www.homecominkitchen.com/pdf/Homecomin-Dessert-Menu.pdf

    NACE24 will be in Phoenix, Arizona next year.  I anticipate being on the agenda again to present to my colleagues.  I’m sure there will be great networking opportunities out there and looking forward to great food there too.

    What networking opportunities are you pursuing this year?

    Irie!

  • Authentic Leadership Consulting Project

    My Walk into the Future continues to allow me to make a difference in the world daily.  I realize most of my life and writing focus appears to only be on my marathon preparation but I’m still busy with my consulting work as well.

    I embarked on an Authentic Leadership consulting project with the St. Lucie County Tax Collector’s office to enhance leadership training for front line supervisors.  I have been working with this organization since February but never got around to sharing with my readers.  Well, now is the time to get a full understanding of the project.

    The Director of Organizational Efficiency reached out to me on LinkedIn to discuss my Authentic Leadership work back in February.  We had initial conversations on LinkedIn and transitioned to a phone conversation on the impact of Authentic Leadership within the work environment.  I was scheduled to attend a local Chamber of Commerce event the next week and she asked if she could join me during the event to talk more.  I’m always networking so invited her to join me at the Chamber event.

    She brought her supervisor, the Chief Deputy with her to the Chamber event to meet me as well.  We spent most of the Chamber event discussing my Authentic Leadership work and how it might benefit their organization.  We agreed to stay in touch, and they invited me to meet their leadership team—an audition if you will since I did my Authentic Leadership presentation for the group. 

    This led to a request to provide a 5-part leadership training program to the 18 department leaders. 

    I worked directly with the Director of Organizational Efficiency on the topics, dates, and frequency of the training program so we could maintain a schedule that provided maximum exposure for the leaders.  The topics requested were some that I already had in my library, but I was able to build new, innovative training sessions based on the needs of the organization.  FYI, a full training needs assessment was completed by the intended audience to ensure I provided training that would benefit the organization—not just something I wanted to share with them.  This is a major key to a successful organizational training program.

    A companion 3-part leadership training program was requested for staff participating in the LEAD Academy—next line leaders coming up through the organization.

    5-part program topics:

    • Authentic Leadership
    • Goal Setting
    • Your WHY Statement
    • Being a Self-Aware Leader
    • Empowering Leadership

    3-part program topics:

    • Self-Awareness and Leadership
    • Authentic Leadership and How to be a Leader
    • Learn How to Interview (next position)

    There was some overlap with the topics, but I was able to tailor to fit each group and their needs based on what they requested in the needs assessment. 

    It was great being able to see the leadership growth in each group—some folks did not understand what leadership should be when we started but quickly developed outstanding insight on leadership when we were done.  I like to look into the eyes of my clients to determine if they understand a topic and the growth, I saw in the eyes of both groups they are better leaders now.

    I remind my clients leadership requires continued learning and development.  You must adapt to situations and people but having a strong leadership foundation is key to organizational growth.

    I am in the process of building a 2023 program for the same organization to capture more up and coming leaders.  This will ensure the organization continues to evolve and grow based on the training provided to the staff.  Excited to partner with this organization again in 2023.  Also, looking to expand my client base to conduct training with other local organizations.  Never a dull moment for me! 😊

    Irie!

    What projects are you working on?  Make it great!

  • 2022 National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Conference

    NACE2022

    The 2022 NACE Conference was held in Portland, Oregon this year.  This was our first in-person conference since 2019 and there was a lot of excited and anxious people in attendance.  Safety protocols were taken to keep us safe, but you can never truly feel safe with over 1,700 people in attendance.

    I have been a member of NACE for the past 15 years and have continued to look for ways to expand my role within the organization.  I have served in multiple roles which have allowed me to grow a network with professionals across the world.

    I am currently finishing up my role as a Co-Chair for the Mentorship Enhancement Task Force.  I received a phone call from the incoming NACE President in July 2021 to talk about the task force and the importance he placed on mentorship.  He asked me to Co-Chair this critical task force and work to revamp the program and increase awareness/participation for NACE members.

    Fast forward to the NACE conference in Portland and my task force was provided a session to discuss the work we have been doing for the past 12 months and highlight the improvements we recommend to the Board of Directors.

    I have attended past NACE conferences in Anaheim, Chicago, New Orleans, Dallas, and Orlando but this was my first opportunity to present to my colleagues.  We were given a prime slot on the second day of the conference to present our work and recruit new mentors into the program. 

    My Co-Chair who is based out of St. Louis, Missouri and I spent multiple Microsoft Teams virtual sessions going over the presentation format, slides, and flow.  We decided to give a big overview of the program changes and then jump into a panel discussion with current NACE mentors and mentees to get their perspective on the impact of mentoring for each of them.

    We soon discovered the NACE conference committee booked our session in the LARGEST room at the event.  We had no preconceived perspective on how many people would attend our session, but we did not imagine we could fill every seat in this large space.  NOTE—we did not get close to filling all seats. 😊

    No worries!  We had a very good crowd, and the folks were able to get a more personal touch from my co-chair and I.  These folks were able to ask the panelist questions and we had on the spot sign-ups for new mentors and mentees.

    We shared the work of the task force and identified our strategies and marketing plans to create a world class mentoring program.

    The new program will have 3 mentoring layers:

    • 1 on 1 mentoring (traditional)
    • Reverse mentoring (new)
    • Mentoring Circles (new)

    Mentoring research identifies Reverse mentoring and Mentoring Circles are unique ways to increase mentoring awareness and participation.  We discussed the benefits of each mentoring model and introduced the software we recommended to match mentors with mentees.  The current matching process is manual and does not consider the demographics of the mentor or mentee.  This software matching process was a big hit with the NACE board and folks in attendance during our session.

    The marketing plan will utilize all social media platforms and the NACE website to promote the changes and encourage NACE members to join the program. 

    I was excited to see the NACE President, David Ong in attendance during our session.  This was his pet project for the year, and he was extremely happy with our progress and excited to roll out the new program to the general membership.

    David gave us a by-name shoutout during the general session late that day to thank us for the work we put in over the year.  This was the highlight of the conference for me and got more members wanting to discuss the mentoring program and to sign up.  I walked around with sign-up sheets for the rest of the conference and got many mentors and mentees signed up.

    My official Co-Chair role ends on 7/15/2022 but we still must complete one more project before our term ends.  I have decided to take a year off from serving on another NACE committee or task force.  This was my second national commitment to the career field in the past two years—time to take a small break and concentrate on my local duties. 

    I plan to get back into the national work of our career field in 2023 by either serving on another committee/task force or taking a larger step up to become a NACE Board Member.  This would provide me with additional leverage within the career field as we set policy to keep us relevant.

    Yes, I’m still dreaming big! 😊

    My 2023 conference travel plans will be less than this year.  The 2023 conference will be held in Lake Buena Vista (Disney World) so I do not have to endure another 7 hours of traveling.  My travel time over to Disney World will be just over an hour and I don’t have to worry about flight layovers in Salt Lake City or Minneapolis. 

    Look forward to getting the band back together next year.

    Irie!    

  • Inspiration Man—Florida Association of Colleges and Employers (FloridaACE) Keynote

    Keynote

    “The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity.  The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty”.

    (Winston Churchill)

    To keynote or not? 

    This was a question I faced back in October 2021 when one of my friends asked me to consider being the keynote speaker for a virtual Drive-In conference.

    The Florida Association of Colleges and Employers (FloridaACE) members come from college/university Career Services and employers who maintain active on-campus recruiting programs.

    I have been a member of FloridaACE for over 10 years and have made some great contacts throughout the state of Florida. 

    Fun fact, I was selected as the keynote for the inaugural Drive-In Conference back in 2016.  I gave my keynote address at the University of Central Florida in the building I used to work in prior to moving to FSU.  Who says you can’t come home again? 😊

    The Drive-In Conference is designed to be shorter than a regular conference—a day and a half instead of a full week.  The concept of the Drive-in Conference is to make it accessible to a large population of attendees who can physically drive to the location and not need hotel accommodations.

    COVID-19 made the concept of virtual conferences come to life and this Drive-In Conference was switched to a virtual format.

    I love to spread the Inspiration Man message to any group that will sit and listen.  I hesitated to accept this request because it was via Zoom, and I did not know how my message would translate on a virtual platform.  I love in-person audiences and feed off the crowd when I present.  A virtual keynote was a challenge to me but one I am happy I accepted—things went well from start to finish.

    The 2021 FloridaACE Virtual Drive-In Conference was titled: Gulf-to-Coast Connections.

    I reached out to my friend to get a better understanding of the conference title and how significant it was to attendees.  Turns out the term gulf was picked so people in western Florida would not feel left out.  I decided to focus on the conference in terms of how people on both coasts (Gulf and Atlantic) could connect to build Authentic Connections.  Yes, I put authentic in most things I do these days. 😊

    Happy to report I accepted the Keynote invitation and was able to move the crowd on a virtual platform.

    I researched the term Authentic Connections to build my knowledge base as I worked to create a presentation to inspire others.  There is a ton of research available, and my new task was to filter this data in a way to build the presentation.

    The key to any form of connection is RELATIONSHIPS.  My goal during the keynote was to highlight to the attendees how technology (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, LinkedIn, etc.) allow us to reach a larger audience than before.  There was always a mindset to catch-up with colleagues during the annual in-person conference or workshop.  This was an effective way to connect back in the day, but COVID created new options/ways to connect.

    We can reach out to potential mentors and colleagues by utilizing the technology we have.  My keynote centered on how FloridaACE members could leverage technology and build authentic connections.

    Authentic Connections should be genuine, direct, and focused.  My point for the group was to highlight relationships can be built virtually, in-person or a combination of both platforms.  You must want to make a connection for it to happen.  Networking with an intentional mindset helps build connections too.

    I would have been remiss if I did not talk about some of the challenges we face when attempting to make new connections:

    • COVID-19
    • No in-person events
    • Zoom fatigue
    • Multiple platform (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, LinkedIn, etc.)

    Simply figuring out how and when to connect with others has been a challenge even for me. 

    Some folks prefer a phone call, others are all about Zoom and then you have a set who want in-person connections because they want to feel normal again.  I shared with my audience it is okay to identify a preferred platform and stick with that.  I prefer Microsoft Teams now when connecting with anyone not on-campus with me.  The key to this I have found is to state the preference up-front and then provide a Microsoft Teams calendar invite to eliminate confusion on how/when we will connect. 

    The concept of recalibrate was addressed to ensure attendees understand they must adjust thought processes in today’s world.  We are not going back to pre-COVID networking so finding authentic connections should be prioritized for them to happen.  Following up after making a request is an outstanding way to continue to build the connections needed to make a difference in the world.

    Being a keynote speaker during a virtual conference was a new experience for me but I was able to make several authentic connections during and after the event.  Will see how many attendees follow-up with me and leverage the wisdom I dropped on them.

    How do you make/ensure authentic connections in your world?  Thanks!

    “Speakers who talk about what life has taught them never fail to keep the attention of their listeners”.

    (Dale Carnegie)

  • Heavy is the head that wears the crown!

    crown

    (Image by Radfotosonn from Pixabay) 

    “Woe unto you when all men shall speak well of you! For so did their fathers to the false prophets”.

    (Luke 6:26)

    My Walk into the Future in 2020 was an interesting journey!

    I am sure everyone who just read that last sentence can highlight how 2020 was a unique year to remember—good or bad.  We all had to adjust in 2020 due to COVID-19 and these adjustments impacted our daily lives.

    One area I needed to adjust was how I lead an organization with COVID-19 work protocols–working from home, virtual meetings and having staff with preexisting conditions.  None of these things were on our radar when 2020 started but quickly became necessary talking points in early March 2020 for most of us.

    My gravitation to the Luke 6:26 verse came about because even when I am doing great work, I continue to look for an angle to motivate myself to do more.  I am not a person to rest on my laurels but look for ways to motivate myself and team to do more.  Luke 6:26 stands out to me today because I am happy to report not all men speak well of me on my current Walk into the Future.

    I do not make that claim lightly but have found a level of motivation, enjoyment, and humor in this fact.  Turns out the people who do not speak well of me are the people who are slackers in their daily work endeavors.  It is obvious I take a lot of pride in getting positive things done, correctly and on-time.  I have discovered people who do not take pride in their work, who are satisfied with the status quo or who are plain lazy are not fans of people like me. 

    I enter new organizations with the mission to make a difference daily—amazingly simple concept but one I do not take lightly.  I have discovered in my new work environment there WERE several people who were not held accountable for their daily actions.  You cannot make a difference daily without being accountable, so these people hear from me they are not meeting my expectations. 

    Please note, these folks work or worked in multiple departments, so it was not isolated to just one area. 

    “Whoever corrects a mocker invites insult; whoever rebukes the wicked incur abuse.”

    (Proverbs 9:7)

    A funny thing happened when I identified we all need to be accountable in the work environment.  Some did not speak well of me!  Not saying that to be nonchalant or play it down but I heard someone say they could not thrive in a work environment with expectations.  True statement!

    I wish I were making this up, but it is true.  Imagine being in a work environment and a staff member has an issue with being accountable to the team and overall mission.  I have been on this professional journey for 30+ years now and find this a terribly sad state of mind for anyone. 

    Turns out the previous leadership did not value accountability as much as they should have.  It is amazing how much energy is needed within an organization to correct these type thoughts and actions.  There have been times new leadership has been questioned but The Energy Bus continues to move forward.  Great things are happening and staff who did not have a voice are now able to fully contribute.  The new energy is contagious!

    I hope there are other folks who do not speak well of me!  My work speaks for itself.  I was promoted to Administrative Director of Advising and Career Services on July 1, 2021.  Must be doing something right, huh? 😊

    We will continue to Walk into the Future and do great things!  Irie!

    Believe Shakespeare perfectly sums up this episode below!

    “Heavy is the head that wears the crown”.

    (Shakespeare)

  • Leading from a distance

    Leading from a distance

    (Image by FelixMittermeier from Pixabay) 

    “Leading remotely makes the complex role of leading even more complex”.

    (Kevin Eikenberry)

    The year 2020 started with a bang for us all and the promise of a fantastic year. 

    The term 2020 Vision was used to highlight the promise this was going to be the year where vision became reality and positive things were coming.

    2020 has been a lot tougher than most of us would like but there have been positive things to be thankful for.  We must remember tough times now can lead to positive outcomes in the future.

    One area of my Walk into the Future where I really needed 2020 Vision was after accepting my role in Fort Pierce and discovering my entire team was working remotely.  Imagine moving to a new city during a pandemic, taking over a work environment and meeting your entire team on your laptop.  Strange times but quickly discovered all my leadership training, speaking, and consulting experience were needed for me to make positive things happen.

    I have read a lot of leadership books and written multiple articles on authentic leadership.  There is not a manual on how to come in on day one and begin to lead a remote team.  Trust me, I searched for that book for days! 

    You always want to make a great first impression, but it is tough to gauge your direct reports via a laptop screen.  Things are progressing but I continue to learn new tools and techniques daily.  2020 Vision has morphed into a new mantra to remain focused and control the controllable.

    Teambuilding

    A first step to build a great team is to ensure teambuilding is a central focus to get everyone on the same page and moving in the correct direction.  I have written about several teambuilding exercises we have completed (MBTI, The Energy Bus) and the need to help each team member grow professionally.  We completed these activities in a complete physical distancing environment where staff members engaged each other via computers from separate offices.  Let’s repeat that…we were together via a Zoom like application (Blackboard Collaborate), in different locations, and working on our teambuilding activities.  Not ideal but it can be done.

    Never imagined this was possible but got the 2020 Vision to try this and tweak as needed.  We have been able to enhance team dynamics and maintain our physical distance from each other.  I continue to look for interactive ways to engage the team using computer technology and ensure we have fun with the process. 

    Work schedules

    2020 Vision allows me to understand the traditional concept of work schedules went out the window earlier this year.  Not saying people do not have to work but the COVID-19 pandemic created a huge work from home dynamic.  Jobs traditionally done within the office environment were rapidly transformed to work from home.  This was a major change for everyone, and work schedules had to change as well.  Gone were the typical 8 am – 5 pm work schedules since people had to juggle work, childcare, home schooling and a myriad of other tasks daily. 

    I learned quickly when staff needed time to take care of their home life.  Also learned the work from home mindset is not the same for everyone.  Some folks are just as motivated working from home as they were in the office.  I came to understand that some are not as motivated working from home—human nature kicks in for these folks.

    My role has evolved to ensure everyone can use the technology we have available to complete work assignments.  We needed to create communication channels to check in without being overly connected daily.  I am still learning and evolving in this area, but we are getting things done.

    Mental well-being

    My initial thoughts for this section was to write about helping my staff with their mental well-being.  We do that daily but one aspect I continue to focus on is my mental well-being.  My workouts and running program are great escapes for me from the daily grind of leading a team from a distance.  This new world of work seems to always have someone trying to schedule a Zoom, Microsoft Teams or Blackboard Collaborate meeting—they never stop! ☹😊

    Finally had to tell some coworkers to ask before just jamming a virtual meeting on my calendar.  This is a constant reminder the world of work has changed—mostly for the good but there can be a bad side to always being connected.  I work to connect with my staff daily to make sure they are doing well.  I do not email, call, or text them after work hours to model behavior that honors a true work and life balance.  Small steps!

    I am still learning how to operate in this new world of work. 

    What techniques do you use to not be connected all the time?  How has your 2020 vision changed from earlier in the year?

     “Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something”.

    (Plato)

  • Walking and the importance of networking

    Walking and the importance of networking

    “It’s not who you know but who knows YOU”.

    (Anonymous)

    Dictionary.com defines networking as the action or process of interacting with others to exchange information and develop professional or social contacts. 

    This definition provides a clean view of networking but does not limit how it can be done.  I have written in the past about several podcast episodes I have been a part of.  Each episode was done to share a specific message to the audience and help their professional growth.  I engaged in multiple in-person networking events (Orlando, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Tallahassee) prior to the COVID-19 pandemic with designs to meet people who could help me grow my consulting and speaking roles.  So, as you can see, networking takes on many forms with the objective of connecting with others.

    I got invited to speak on a local radio program last week to engage and speak with Fort Pierce community members about my new workplace and the work we do.  Turns out the radio host is an Indian River State College (IRSC) colleague who happens to work on a different campus.  We had not met prior to the event but knew of each other through work interactions.

    I make a point to never turn down opportunities to speak about the great work we do for our students and alumni populations.  The radio spot was a fantastic way for me to network with students, parents and employers interested in attending or coming back to IRSC.

    The host for this networking opportunity works directly with underrepresented students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.  She is always looking for new ways to engage students and members of the community on the benefits of higher education and wanted me to discuss how my office helps our students become career ready.  Love being able to showcase the improved operations and services we are building.  These new operational tweaks allow staff to reach more students and add value to the overall college experience.

    I especially enjoyed participating in the radio program since I could speak directly to employers in the local Fort Pierce area who did not know they could recruit talent on our campuses.  We are not hosting in-person events in the fall, but employers are able to post their openings for free with our office.  We are in the process of finalizing our Virtual Career Fair platform and wanted to let employers know they have multiple access points to recruit on-campus.  The radio program reaches our four-county service area and should enhance our reach to help employers understand how we can help them moving forward.

    A secondary aspect of participating on the radio show was to let the community know enrollment for the fall semester is open and we are still recruiting new students.  COVID-19 has had a major impact on college and university enrollments across the country and we are no different.  Going on the radio allows us to let folks know we are here for them and want to share ways we can help with their success.  Two-year colleges are very affordable and can be an excellent way to launch into a four-year degree if that is a goal. 

    The new term for me in this environment is UpSkill.  We talk with prospective students and employers on the benefit of in-demand certificate programs to UpSkill their careers or improve staff outputs.  This process is still new to me since I came from the four-year university model but UpSkill is a great way to impact local economies by training students to meet local career demands.

    I am scheduled to speak on another radio program later this month hosted by the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and will look to continue to network to help the Treasure Coast grow.  Excited to see the impact of these networking opportunities! 😊

    What networking opportunities are you working on?  How can networking help your organization continue to grow?

     “Networking is the #1 unwritten rule of success in business”.

    (Sallie Krawcheck)

    Listen to the show here—I speak around the 5 minute mark:  http://wjfp.com/ondemand-wjfp/player.php?wrspot=72816