New View Wine Tasting at Glen Oaks

It is time again for New View to host an After Hours event this week on Thursday, July 11, 2013 at Glen Oaks Country Club.  We are pleased to have Ashley Damos, a Certified Wine Specialist and Assistant Wine & Spirits Manager from the Mills Civic Hy-Vee store lead us in wine sampling.  As a Certified Wine Specialist, Ashley brings a wealth of knowledge about different types of wine, wine regions, food and wine pairings, and more!

Ashley has chosen six types of wines for us to sample: Riesling, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Red Blend, and Cabernet Sauvignon.  The selected wines are from California, Oregon, Washington, and Argentina!  Many of the wines we will be sampling have rich histories or Iowa ties.  Ashley will provide sampling sheets for all attendees to record information such as the Vineyard name, grape varietal, region, year, taste profile, and price at the Mills Civic Hy-Vee Wine & Spirits store.  Participants can present the sampling sheet to the Mills Civic Hy-Vee Wine & Spirits store to receive a 10% discount on all wine purchases from Thursday night after the event through Sunday, July 14, 2013!

The event will be from 5:00-7:00 p.m. and include two flights: white and red.  The white flight will occur at approximately 5:30 p.m. or soon after a sizable crowd has arrived, while the red flight will occur at approximately 6:15 p.m.  There will be no charge to participants for sampling while supplies last.  During the sampling, Ashley will discuss each wine, including its Vineyard, history, taste profile, and more!  In addition, Ashley will be available throughout the entire event to answer all of our questions about wine. 

Thank you, Ashley, for your help with this event, and we look forward to seeing everyone on Thursday, July 11, 2013 from 5:00-7:00 p.m. at Glen Oaks Country Club.  

National Running Day

Chris Burch
Director of Racing and Events
IMT Des Moines Marathon

Did you know that our nation recently celebrated National Running Day? Running in the United States is becoming more and more popular and my guess is that you are noticing it. From what was considered a man's sport some 40 years ago, running is attracting more than just the high school cross country or track standout these days. Woman are buying more running shoes and signing up for more races than men these days. Many of them are taking the family on vacation and spending hundreds of dollars at expos. Races today are more like events that provide destination experiences and platforms for fundraising and awareness than who can cross the finish line first competitions.

Running is following such a popular trend that even local events such as Dam to Dam, which has been around for more than 30 years, sells out in a number of days and the Living History Farms Cross Country Race in hours. Want to be a part of the Farms race? Don’t leave your computer when online registration opens. First time national events saw huge numbers of participants in Des Moines last year including more than 20, 000 in the Color Run and 12,000 in the Glow Run alone. Let alone mud and obstacles.

What may have been described as a cult sport some twenty years ago, running is now as main stream as it gets. Name a magazine advertisement or television commercial that focused on running. You probably can. Five years ago. No way. So what is causing the surge in popularity? For starters the sport is accessible at a time when many things in the daily grind are becoming less and less accessible. There is minimal equipment to buy. There aren't any membership requirements, rental fees or contracts to sign. And many runners start and finish their run from the front door. No getting stuck in traffic just trying o get to your workout.

Running provides opportunities to exercise control in a number of different ways. It provides an opportunity for goals and objectives to be met and set; a time for personal reflection, imagination, and the chance to sort out the day’s events. Running provides for the theater of competition. Personal improvement, self satisfaction, and enjoyment in a sport that offers many personal returns only add to the physical and well being benefits of regular exercise.

Perhaps it is the collective energy and spirit of those ideals that is making running so popular. More and more people are discovering the sport and celebrating it with others at running events from the church on the corner 5K to ultramarathons and 100 mile races. Des Moines was recently named the Outstanding Runner Friendly Community of the Year in 2012. If you seem to notice more people out running over the lunch hour or through the neighborhood on your commute home for work, perhaps instead of asking yourself what you think those people are thinking, you should ask yourself why aren’t you thinking like them.

Leading the Way: You may need to adjust your leadership style

Alex Taylor
Associate Director
University of Iowa
Tippie School of Management

I recently enjoyed a couple of great reads about leadership functions and styles that served as a catalyst for some introspection: What are the functions of a leader and how do they perform them?
In his book, “A Force for Change: How Leadership Differs from Management,” John Kotter lists three primary functions of a leader:

1 Strategy — A leader establishes direction by paying attention to the market — industry, customers and employees — then develops, plans and implements the mission, vision and strategies for the long term success of the organization.
2 Communications — A leader aligns people and resources by sharing and communicating the organizational plans and strategies so that employees, customers and partners understand, embrace and commit to these goals.
3 People management — A leader motivates and inspires by appealing to and tapping into emotional and rational values and needs of employees, customers and others to work toward shared goals and collaborative results.

So if these are the leadership functions, what are the styles?
John Hendry, author of “Between Enterprise and Ethics: Business and Management in a Bi-Moral Society,” identifies four leadership styles — authoritative, participative, empowering and servant — as they might pertain to Kotter’s functions of a leader.

Authoritative leaders cut through or eliminates red tape, process and politics to make definitive decisions. Their conviction and confidence can inspire others to follow and/or do as their told.

Authoritarian leaders sometimes convey a “my way or the highway mentality”, which can backfire when employees don’t believe their input matters or their voices are heard.

Participative leaders enable others to provide input, but remain the final decision-makers. By encouraging participation, these leaders gain good insight and ideas that enable them to validate and/or adjust their decisions accordingly.

This style can help build consensus to guide and align organizations. However, if input of others never gets incorporated, a participative leader risks losing the loyalty and support of employees whose ideas perceptively fall on deaf ears.

Empowering leaders facilitate and guide others to make decisions as talented subject matter experts. These leaders must check their egos at the door, trust the talents and experience of subordinates, accept some uncertainty, and be able to recognize and acknowledge the success of others.

To be effective, an empowering leader must set clear limits of authority, establish shared and measurable goals, and be able to restrain empowered employees from running amok.

With planning and management, an empowered environment can be very innovative and entrepreneurial. But left unchecked, it can spiral out of control and the inmates can take over the prison.

The servant leader often can be found in smaller organizations and not-for-profits, working side by side with others to provide direction.

When they lead by example, these leaders demonstrate they are not above doing the work expected of others. This style can garner the respect of others and can be inspirational.

However, there are some people who prefer authoritarian leadership and a servant leader might appear weak and/or ineffective.

Just as we periodically measure and adjust our organizational focus to accommodate changing economic, financial and political environments, I believe it’s equally important to measure and adjust our leadership styles to stay relevant and effective.

So, what functions do you lead, and how do you do it?

Booze, Sex, & Money

Dr. Anthony Paustian
Provost at DMACC West Campus

Booze, Sex, & Money

Three ways to focus and improve the quality of your work

By Dr. Anthony Paustian

If you’re like most people, odds are you’re swamped; so much to do and so little time to do it. We go through our days trying to balance ever-growing responsibilities, which, if done simultaneously, make us feel more productive. We call this “multitasking,” and people believe the better you are at it, the more effective and efficient you will be. We tend to view multitasking as a positive, frequently sought-after attribute. In fact, as many of you read this, you’re also responding to text messages, watching the news, eating lunch, reading the paper, and planning the rest of your day.

However, multitasking is a myth. Sure, you can chew gum while walking, listen to music while vacuuming, eat while reading, or fold laundry while talking on the phone. But these activities don’t require higher-order, problem-solving skills or much brainpower of any kind.

Psychologists have studied the concept of multitasking for a long time. What they found is the brain is unable to focus on more than one thing at a time. When people multitask, they are actually shifting their attention from one thing to another at fast speeds, and each time they switch their focus between tasks, their minds must reorient to cope with the new information.

According to Earl Miller, a professor of neuroscience at MIT, “People can’t multitask very well, and when people say they can, they’re deluding themselves . . . Switching from task to task, you think you’re actually paying attention to everything around you at the same time. But you’re actually not.”

There are several reasons for this, but one is that similar tasks have to compete to use the same parts of the brain. For example, talking on the telephone and writing an email are nearly impossible to do concurrently because of what’s called “interference” by neuroscientists.¹ Both involve communication skills and contend for similar space in the brain.

Multitasking doesn’t make us more productive; in fact, the quality of our efforts suffers rather than if we focus on each task individually.

Another major downside to multitasking is the negative effect it has on our stress levels, as trying to balance a multitude of simultaneous activity makes us feel overwhelmed, drained, and anxious.²

Stop the Madness!

Although I don’t claim to be a model of efficiency (I get sucked into the false hope of multitasking with the best of them), I have learned how to effectively maximize my efforts and accomplish large tasks and projects. I have also realized time is finite, and we all have the same amount of it (24 hours per day / 7 days per week). In order to maximize my productivity, I adopted three strategies that greatly impacted not only the number of positive outcomes I can accomplish but also the quality of my work.

1. Set Aside Time

It’s human nature to deal with things as they come. Our days have a tendency to fill up on their own; as a result, we find ourselves constantly “putting out fires” (to use a common metaphor), becoming regularly distracted by the constant change in events.

Therefore, to do anything of quality and significance, proactively schedule time (even if it’s short amounts of it) when you will work on ONLY one task and nothing else. To write this piece, I had to schedule four hours on a Sunday afternoon when I would do NOTHING except write. I made sure I let the dog out, I took care of my physical needs, and I had a beverage by my side prior to working. I did nothing else during those four hours. I have employed this strategy for virtually every task of significance whether it was writing a book, designing a project, preparing a presentation, or creating a strategic plan. Not only was I able to accomplish each, but also I’m certain the quality of my work was much, much better because I was focused.

2. Find a Sweet Spot

I spend the bulk of my life in some unproductive locations. Whether it’s my office at work, my office at home, or home in general, these locations are ground zero for dealing with a constant stream of distractions. For me to be truly focused and productive during the time I set aside, I must work away from the normal, daily distractions at a secondary location where I feel creative and energized. For me, those places involve local restaurants and vacation spots. I wrote my entire doctoral dissertation at Applebee’s, my first book at Chili’s, and my most recent book, Beware the Purple People Eaters: A Personal Look at Leadership, at Subway (and most of the planning, outlining, and researching for that book was done poolside in Las Vegas). For whatever reason, these places allow me to focus, energize, and be creative. Find your place(s), and go there EVERY time you set aside time to focus (in fact, as I write this I’m sitting at Subway).

3. Go Off-Grid

Like an addict goes to rehab to cut off access to addictions, productivity needs to be cut off from distractions. Even if you set aside time and go to your sweet spot, it will be for not unless you unplug and disconnect. I’m convinced distractions will follow you if permitted. The phone will ring, text messages will appear, and emails will pop into your inbox, all of which are huge temptations screaming for your attention. And like most addicts, we are frequently unable to resist (did I mention booze, sex, and money?). Turn off your smartphone and disconnect your laptop from the Internet. Short of an emergency or crisis (which seldom happen), everything can wait.

These three simple actions have a huge positive effect not only on my productivity, but also on the quality of my work. They allow me to focus intently for scheduled blocks of time while putting my best efforts toward the desired task. Although they might be simple in concept, they aren’t always simple to do. They require discipline and, most of all, frequent practice. Start by creating a routine and setting aside small amounts of time. You might be shocked at what you can accomplish when highly focused for only 30 minutes a day.

For more information on this topic, see the upcoming fall issue of Celebrate! Innovation Magazine (www.dmacc.edu/ci/magazine2013/welcome.html) available early September.  For more on this and other topics, please visit www.adpaustian.com.

©2013 Anthony Paustian. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

¹Hamilton, J. (2008, October 2). Think You’re Multitasking? Think Again. Retrieved May 9, 2013, from the NPR (National Public Radio) website: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyid=95256794 
²Multitasking: Can It Help You Get More Done? Retrieved May 9, 2013, from the Mind Tools website: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newHTE_75.htm

West Des Moines Leadership Academy

Amy Seidelman
Vice-Chair, West Des Moines
Leadership Academy

I’ll start this post with a warning:

Readers, beware – my enthusiasm for the West Des Moines Leadership Academy might just jump off the page at you.

As a graduate of the inaugural 2009 class of the Academy and its current Vice-Chair, I am pleased to introduce our group to anyone who hasn’t had the opportunity to participate in the academy, hasn’t attended one of the many events that evolved from our Academy class projects, or doesn’t know someone who comes to work the 4^th Friday of the month with a renewed sense of purpose in life and work (due to their attendance at class the day before, of course).

There are many great leadership organizations in the state and in cities around West Des Moines. As an alumni-driven group, the Board and Committees of the West Des Moines Leadership Academy strive to make our approach to improving leadership unique.

We touch on topics everyone can benefit from like team building, coaching, conflict management, and situational leadership, but we also focus on supporting individuals on their quest toward personal and professional development.  This year, that included a strategic approach to goal setting, tapping into creativity, and generating the “escape velocity” we need to make positive change in our lives.

We spend about a third of our time exposing the Academy class members to real community issues through experiential learning, simulations, and guest panelists. One of the most influential learning opportunities is the class project, which in the past has varied from focused youth-oriented mentoring work to more large-scale community events! If you’ve attended events like Putt Your Best Food Forward, the BoosterPak Bash, the Hy-Vee Stash Mob, or the 2012 Morsel Combat, you’ve attended a Leadership Academy sponsored or run event.

Taught by local leaders, this program was created to build leaders in the West Des Moines area and our surrounding communities. The program’s balance of leadership training, community experiences, and networking opportunities makes it one of a kind.

I’ve saved the best part for last – we are currently accepting applications for our 2013 -2014 class, which starts in September 2013 and ends with graduation in June 2014. We generally meet on the 4^th Thursday of the month with the exception of some dates we move for holidays, orientation, and graduation.

What we look for in ideal WDMLA candidates:

·         a commitment and motivation to serve West Des Moines;

·         leadership in employment and/or volunteer organizations that translates to influence on important issues; and

·         the ability to honor the time commitment required by the program.

Please take a moment to check out our website. Scan the Alumni and Current Class pages for anyone you might know and can ask about the class. Look at next year’s class dates to see if they’ll work for you. Most importantly, visit the online application and review what you’ll need in order to submit yours soon.

Whether you ask your employer to sponsor this great learning experience or decide to “put yourself through” the WDMLA, you’ll find great value in the leadership lessons and connection to our community you’ll develop. If you are considering asking your employer to sponsor you, you can share these employer testimonials with them as well.

As a potential applicant, you’re on the verge of some serious networking and the start of some amazing friendships. I, for one, can’t wait to meet you!

Young Professionals and Politics

Legal Counsel and Legislative Liaison
Iowa Secretary of State

The terms “young professionals” and “politics” often seem mutually exclusive.  Obviously the world of politics has young professionals who run for office or are employed in politics and government.  Yet, the perception is that young professionals are part of the business world and not the political world.  Some would even argue that except for voting and being part of a democratic republic, most young professionals are not even part of the political process.

  However, I would posit to you that this could not be further from the truth.  In reality, based on your occupation you are probably represented by a lobbyist or a political action committee that is giving money to politicians ostensibly on your behalf.  This link will give you an alphabetical list of the businesses and organizations in Iowa that employ a lobbyist:  http://coolice.legis.iowa.gov/Cool-ICE/default.asp?Category=Matt&Service=Lobby.  This link is an alphabetical list of the current political action committees that are active in Iowa at the state level:   http://www.iowa.gov/ethics/lists/list_download/pacs.pdf.

After reviewing either of these lists, it will be clear to you as a young professional that based solely on your occupation you are indeed part of the political process.  If nothing else, you will recognize that some of your money is already being spent on political campaigns or to impact the legislative process and you did not even realize it.  As such, I would encourage you to spend some time looking through these lists.  This information is all a public record and too few people take the time to look through it.

So why should young professionals care about politics?  Remember that elected officials pass the laws and ordinances that have a direct and indirect impact and influence on your businesses, employments, and everyday lives.  Not only are laws and ordinances an issue, but state agencies and departments are able to adopt administrative rules that basically act like laws.  Several of you are in professions in which your employment activities are heavily regulated by laws and rules.  This is the major reason why your professions have lobbyists and political action committees looking out for your interests. 

Not only do you pay federal taxes and state income taxes, but there payroll taxes, property taxes, franchise fees, and local subdivision assessments.  While I am not arguing for or against these “government revenue generators,” you certainly need to be aware of them and how they impact your career.  Some of the most spirited debates in Iowa politics involve tax issues and rightly so.  Clearly it goes without saying that there are various ways in which the imposition of taxes impacts your life as a young professional. 

So short of running for office or otherwise becoming a young professional that is employed in the world of politics (and I would encourage you all to do those things), what should you be doing?  Read up and familiarize yourself on the issues.  There are plenty of social media opportunities that give you quick access to information.  It is amazing how much knowledge you can capture from a couple of blogs or who you follow on Twitter.      

Get to know people in government and politics.  Remember that they have strict ethics laws including limitations on people able to accept gifts, including free meals, but there are opportunities to interact with them.  Let them know your feelings as a young professional on the issues and how you are impacted.  I believe you will be amazed at how easy it is to access politicians and government officials in Iowa.  I believe you will be even more amazed at how much Iowa’s politicians and government officials appreciate receiving your input.

So as you can see, no matter what your current interests, politics does have an impact on you as a young professional and it is crucial for young professionals to pay attention to political issues.  Brush up on the issues, learn who the players are, and make your voice heard.  It will pay dividends throughout your career. 

Relationship Building through Networking

Lu Anne Gafford
Vice President - Bankers Trust Clive

Networking is a word that may have different meanings to different people.  For me it is an essential element to help develop my business AND personal relationships.  Notice I said personal too?  Many keep their business and personal so separated, and I do too to a certain extent.  I have developed quite a few friendships from my networking and that to me is worth something that you can’t place a price tag on like you can with a business relationship.  My friendships have also led to several new business relationships too.  The reason I believe is because I have proved to the individuals who are the decision makers that I am someone they can trust and that can speak volumes in these days we live in.

Networking isn't meant to be a situation where you gather as many business cards as you can at an event and leave it at that.  It is meant to develop a relationship to gain business.  But before you can gain the business of a prospect, you have to gain their respect.  Respect in how you behave, how you respond to follow after an event, in the integrity of your business and if they do decide to do business with you, how well you follow through on your delivery of your service or product.  You may have a great company you work for or one that has had some struggles, but if you yourself do not have integrity then you may not ever have a chance at securing that relationship or worse yet you may lose a client because of your lack thereof. 

I think it is great to see the Des Moines area business community offering a Young Professionals organization.  It is a great outlet for all to learn from one another at what may be a successful process or what hasn't worked so well.  It is a great learning environment and I am jealous that I was not afforded the same opportunity in my beginning networking days.  I challenge each of you to make the most of the different events and opportunities that your Board arranges.  Go to these events and try to connect with three new individuals.  Don’t always go looking for the same familiar faces and stay right by their side.  Find new faces to connect with.  Get to know them, I mean really know them.  Ask questions of their personal background, hobbies, families etc.  Try to connect with them.  Remember, they are a person first and the face of the business second.  I also want to encourage everyone to get involved with an organization that has all ages involved too.  This is where you can learn from someone who has had many successes and failures in networking world.  You cannot expect to have all good all of the time.  In fact, it is through the failures I think that we all learn the most from.  I know I have had my share of experiences and I think these situations have helped to develop and form me into a better networker.  Try to get to know someone who has networked for a while.  Ask them to share their secrets or successes.  Maybe they would be willing to mentor you.  I have done a little this and I have placed my own spin on some of the examples I have gained from these conversations.  We are all unique, but we have the same desire to belong or be connected, so get out there and network and I’ll see you around at a future event.  Come introduce yourself to me and let’s get to know one another. 

Happy networking and I look forward to meeting you at future events.

Finding a Plumber...

Mike Draper- RAYGUN owner

When I started RAYGUN, the whole venture seemed a little uncertain. I had never screenprinted, I had never used design software, I had never worked in retail, I had never used a cash register, and I didn’t know anyone with similar businesses. I was a 21-year-old history student at the University of Pennsylvania and only knew that I wasn’t cut out for a regular job.

Now when I look back at the trajectory of the company, since it all really started in 2004, I realize that you may need artistic talent to be a great artist. But if you’re looking to build an artistic company, being a great artist isn’t even in the top three things you need.

Number one above all else: reply to all your e-mails as soon as you can.

This really applies to any field. And if you can do that, your odds of success sky-rocket. Replying to all e-mails as soon as possible will help establish some personal discipline, which lets you slog through the endless bullshit that small businesses really face (finding a plumber, fixing a messed-up order from a supplier, find the right kind of track-light bulb). It’s a simple base of your daily routine.

Replying to all e-mails also establishes an aura of dependability with those you’re corresponding with. And dependability is the top thing  you need to run a successful artistic, or non-artistic company. Because at the end of the day, a customer doesn’t necessarily know amazing art from great art, but they do know if it’s a month late. They do know if they’ve been disrespected or not appreciated.

In the beginning, I used to do custom printing and design for other people (that side was sold in 2010), and dependability was my main business edge.

Say you’re a potential screenprinting customer, and your boss has given you a job: have 500 purple t-shirts with a log on them by Friday or you’re fired.

Now, say you have two friends: one is the Picasso + Michelangelo +  Da Vinci of screenprinting, but he only gets stuff done on time 50% of the time, the other friend is me, owner of RAYGUN, who does fine work, but has it done 100% of the time.

You’d have to be high on mescaline to choose the non-dependably guy. Your assignment is not to get great on a t-shirt no matter how long it takes, your assignment is just to have t-shirts by Friday.

There’s an upside and a downside to this business advice.

The upside is that anyone has the potential to do it. Any able bodied person can be dependable, just like any able bodied person can lose weight or control their diet.

The downside is that barely anyone can really accomplish it. Being dependable involves showing up every day. Working hard. Just like losing weight requires eating right and exercising.

The steps are simple, the implementation is hard.

But like losing weight, most people will tell you that there was one small, turning point when they knew they had to do it. For me, the most important thing was my decision that I knew I didn’t want a regular job after college. I wanted to do something creative, and I’d do whatever it took to realize that. Only then, when I was pointed in the right direction, in the direction that I cared about, was I able to muster the discipline to keep my dependability up every day for years on end.

New View February After Hours

 Our mission at Glen Oaks is to create an exceptional experience for our members and guests by continuing our tradition as the finest country club in Iowa; providing an outstanding golf course/experience, preeminent dining and social activities, strong focus on families, premier venue for event and unparalleled service that is experienced daily.  Glen Oaks’ championship golf course was designed by Tom Fazio and opened in 1994.  Glen Oaks hosted the Principal Charity Classic, a Champions Tour event, for 11 years ending in 2012.  Our Junior Olympic pool and tennis courts complete our sporting activity facilities.  Glen Oaks offers four dining experiences to fit our members needs and the Glen Oaks culinary team has won numerous awards over the years.  Over the past two years we have completely renovated our 45,000 square foot clubhouse to assure we have best of class facilities for our members.  

Glen Oaks Country Club had an exciting 2012! We completed the clubhouse renovation, continued improvements to our outstanding golf course, while maintaining a strong focus on families, and improving our youth and social events. All of which have contributed to a 10% increase in membership, while the club industry as a whole grew on average of 1% to 2% in 2012.  We strongly believe we will reach our planned golf roster cap of 425 members by early spring! We believe this is due to not only to our outstanding golf course and golf experience, but also to the announcement of our scheduled pool renovations to begin fall of 2013 and completion for the 2014 season!

Along with our custom designed member facilities, Glen Oaks offers a unique venue for all of your private event needs. Our newly renovated banquet space offers gorgeous views, atmosphere and the amenities to accommodate any meeting or event. Our first-class culinary staff can offer meal options for every occasion and our event team can take care of all the “extras” to make your event a success!

The strength of a club is its membership and over the past two years Glen Oaks has added 118 new members.  We would like very much to introduce ourselves and provide you with a tour of the club with the hopes that you will become the newest member of our growing Glen Oaks family. We are excited to announce our 2013 Young Professional Membership Promotion and would love to tell you more about it!

Social Media....Fall in Love & Boost Sales

Raylee Melton
Owner - Moth Media

I believe that a hand shake and a smile will always be necessary. I also believe that social media is a powerful force today.  But how do you do business with Facebook feeds?

Social media is changing everyday! Countless books, podcasts, companies and blogs have announced self-proclaimed titles like “Social Media Guru”.  My point? No one really knows where Social Media is headed.

Here at Moth Media we offer a navigation strategy instead of an all knowing claim: We like to call it Moth Navigation.

Here are a few steps to help get started.

Step 1 Find Someone from your past

How fun is that! Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a newbie with social media, take the time to reconnect with someone. There is a strong sense of comfort knowing that they are doing well.  

Tip:  1 in 5 divorces are linked to Facebook. So, please be careful who you contact.  

Step 2 Automate your campaigns

This is so easy! Sit down once a month and plan out your posts. There are several service providers that will help you automate your page. I like Hootsuite. It provides a huge value as well as a sense of relief that your posts are consistent and manageable.  

Tip:  Be sure to mix in a few live posts from time to time to keep your stats up.

Step 3 Engage

These are your customers, so you must have something to talk about.  How can you help improve their life? What can you tell them to make things easier or better? Always direct your posts towards your ideal client. Keep a focus on that aspect and you will attract the right clients.

Tip: Quality client care is all about added value…show them you care.

Step 4 Create an editorial calendar

When you’re planning out your posts for the month, I recommend the following:
Start with your calendar events

1. Add in quotes
2. Be sure to ask questions
3. Provide “how to” information
4. Sprinkle in a few product spotlights

Tip: It’s the destination, not the plane!  Please, Do NOT spam your followers with product information. Create a conversation…be cool!

Step 5 Have Fun with it

Social Media is about having fun & being social. When you post information that is interesting and informative you’ll see your page come to life.

Before long you’ll not only boost your bottom line but just as importantly, you’ll be falling in love with Social Media and having fun!

Insights from New View - Young Professional Blunders in the Workplace

Everyone makes blunders during their professional careers.  As a young professional, you will be more susceptible to making mistakes due to your lack of experience in the workplace.  Nobody intends to mess up, but it is inevitable to happen so it can be helpful to learn from more “seasoned” young professionals so that you can avoid the same pitfalls.  Below are some actionable insights from the New View board members early career mishaps that are an opportunity for learning and growth in your career.

Don’t talk about it, be about it – Chris Wood, New View Board Member

My two biggest mistakes that I made early in my career was trying to do every task on my own and was confident to the point of being perceived as a know-it-all.  The reason that I tried to do every task on my own was because it seemed more efficient to complete tasks by myself.  I wanted everything to be done the “right way” which can be translated to “my way.”  It didn’t take long (about 6 months) to realize that less work can be accomplished going solo.  Also, it was alienating me from the team and wasn’t an effective way to develop my leadership skills.  The other mistake, an over abundance of confidence, was coming across to my co-workers as me trying to be a know-it-all.  I was quick to talk and very slow to listen during my first year of employment.  My manager was able to identify these mistakes and consistently coached and mentored me.  In addition, he taught me to be less competitive and showed me the value of working on tasks as a team.  He reinforced his coaching by using quotes and sayings as reminders.   “Don’t talk about, be about it” was his favorite phrase and it was a simplified aggregation of all of his training.  The saying stuck with me and is now my mantra that I use in my career as well as my personal life. 

Get agreements in writing and document important conversations.  – Brad Phillips, New View Past Chair

When I was running my old business, I made an agreement with a very large (Fortune global 500) company to produce a film.  We had a written agreement for the production and a verbal agreement that they would purchase 10,000 units after production.  We produced the film, with our budget relying on that large purchase at the end.  The film was finished in September, 2008.  Because of the economic downturn, the company had a freeze on purchases and backed out of the deal, costing me 6-figures.  If I had it in writing they wouldn't have been able to back out.  Getting large deals like that in writing is imperative, for smaller deals or even discussions; get it in writing, even if it means just using e-mail.  Whenever we have a discussion with an underwriter we do it through e-mail, and then we NEVER delete our e-mails.  That way if they gave us bad advice, we have proof of it.  We also take religious notes about our discussions with clients.  We document what they want changed on their policy and request large changes to be in writing.

Be prepared for the Interview – Melissa Heikes, New View Board Member

I went to school at University of Northern Iowa for Elementary Education. I knew that with every fiber of my being that I was meant to be a teacher and that there was no way I could not get the first job I interviewed for. All it took was passion and a desire to help kids to learn and be successful, right? WRONG. 

I was working as a Teacher's Associate at a local elementary school and it was my first year out of college. I was building relationships and getting to know the people within the school. I received the call that I was going to be interviewing for a teaching position. Again, how could anyone turn away someone with SO much passion and a love for teaching. Well, it is easy to turn down someone that literally has no clue as to how to impress interviewers during an interview. I am the prime example. 

There I was, in front of the principal and three of my peers. They were interviewing me around the table and asking me questions that were simple questions (if you prepared for the interview). Questions about curriculum and how I would manage a classroom. Questions that would seem obvious to prepare for... I dropped the ball. Not only had I just failed my first interview, I failed in front of my peers. How embarrassing?!

There is some good that came from this: I learned my lesson. When called for a second interview I prepared. Not only did I prepare, I was the second runner up for the position, beat out by a former teacher from within the district.

This is what I learned and how I prepared:

1. Practice interviewing with someone you know. 

Type up interview questions and answers so that you can become familiar with typical interview questions and how to answer them. There is a lot of information regarding typical interview questions online. 

2. Do your research!

• When preparing, get to know the company. Call people you know that may have information. I called a former professor and she gave me some great advice about district curriculum and where to find resources that could help me for my second official interview.
• Research on the internet. You can find out so much information with just the company's website. Understand their values, successes, history, etc. All of this shows the employer you are interested in their job/organization.

3. Dress for Success

Dress for the job you want. This means that even if you are interviewing for a mail clerk position to get your foot in the door and you eventually want to work your way up to upper management - dress that way! First impressions are key! It takes an employer 7 seconds to determine if they want to move forward with an interview. They could be checked out before you even start!

4. Maintain Eye Contact

Eye contact shows confidence. Don't stare them down but be sure to maintain eye contact in a professional manner. 

5. Speak Clearly and Positively

Never say anything negative about a former employer, co-worker or supervisor. This is a bad reflection on you - no matter the situation.

6. Always have Questions Prepared

If you do not have questions, the interviewer will get the impression you are not interested. I always suggest to have 5 or more questions prepared in the off chance they answer some of your questions during the interview.

7. Find out the Next Step

When does the company plan on making a decision? This helps to give a timeline of events. If you don't hear back by the time designated, feel free to follow up with the person who interviewed you. (Good idea to ask for a business card as well!)

8. Send a Thank You

So many people miss out on this opportunity. It is important to send a thank you as it reiterates your interest in the company. It is also a good idea to reemphasize your qualifications within your Thank You. Handwritten is always nice but an email will suffice!

Follow these steps and I am sure that you will be more successful in your next interview. Just don't make a fool out of yourself like I did. Just because you are a likable person doesn't guarantee you the job. Whereas, if you are a likable person that has prepared for the interview your chances increase tremendously!

That’s not my job… - Lindsey Mathews, New View Chair

I went to college and earned a degree. I felt as though that meant there were certain tasks in the workplace I would not have to do...unload a dishwasher, make coffee, clean up conference rooms.  In the beginning of my career, there were many times I wanted to say "that's not my job," but I never have. Unless it's something I'm really unqualified to do or cannot do for a good reason, I refuse to use that phrase.  Picking up slack or lending a helping hand in the office is what makes a team player and that's an invaluable quality in an employee for any organization.

These are just some of the experiences from our New View Board.  I'm sure you've had some of your own.  Feel free to leave any thoughts or tips in the comments section of this blog.  Who knows, we may reach out to you for a guest blog on blunders to avoid in the workplace!