Goals
It’s Not What You Know, but Who You Know
By Guest Blogger on September 19th, 2013
Just a few short weeks ago, all Human Resources employees at FLVS met with our President and CEO, Julie Young, for a focus group discussion. It was an honor just to be sitting in the same room with our esteemed leader, but it was even more of a treat when she actually asked each of us for our opinions on a smattering of pressing matters. Julie got to know each of us, inquiring about our day-to-day likes and dislikes, and intermittently took notes on a notepad while sipping her coffee. Continue reading
Recipe for Success
By Amy LaGrasta on August 13th, 2013
I enjoy cooking and baking. Cooking allows me to try new things, experiment, add a dash of this, a pinch of that, and just get creative! It suits the rule-breaker in me as I don’t always like to follow recipes. Baking is a bit more of an exact science, some room for experimentation, but lots of room for error (if you don’t measure correctly). Baking keeps me on the straight and narrow as I’m rewarded with a yummy treat, but ONLY IF I follow directions. Continue reading
Planning and Paying for Post-Secondary Education
By Guest Blogger on July 18th, 2013
As a School Counselor, I always know when summer is near by the number of seniors requesting guidance in preparation for the next stage of their lives. Whether it is reviewing transcripts, offering resources to research financial aid options, or discussing opportunities for college or technical schools, we delight in helping students transition into early adulthood! Recently, there has been a noticeable spotlight shined on the rising cost of post-secondary tuition and the rapid accumulation of student loan debt. Continue reading
Project TAM
By Guest Blogger on July 15th, 2013
Photo credit: haroldito via Flickr.com
Friday found me crying at the copy machine. As I prepared prereading for my trip to San Francisco, the drear of monotonous copies and collating and stapling proved to be an overwhelming prospect for my mind, stuffed full of words like “untethered” and “ideate” and “platforms.” I wondered how this boded for my week — overcome by a copy machine. And, what does “collate” mean for copies anyway?
Sunday arrived not with a roar but a whisper, and by some miracle of heaven Pam and I both arrived at the airport early. I can giggle a little now at us — two travelers traveling together with a common goal, the mutuality of dreams. Dreams which almost prevented these two preoccupied travelers from boarding the plane, so dense were the clouds. Continue reading
The Call Center Classroom
By Guest Blogger on July 2nd, 2013
Have you ever been inside a call center where sales are involved? It is one of the most energetic, exciting, goal-driven environments I have ever experienced. One of my first jobs was selling telephone products over the phone and it was an experience that has shaped who I am and how I view the world.
In a call center, you often have what are called “clappers.” Every time you make a sale, people run up and down the aisle clapping devices to celebrate your success. If you continued to sell, you not only got the noisemakers, but also streamers, balloons, cupcakes, and enough attention to make a billboard blush. Continue reading
Set SMART Goals
By Amy LaGrasta on May 23rd, 2013
There are five things to consider when setting goals. They should be: specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely; hence the acronym SMART.
SPECIFIC
Is your goal clearly written, easily understood, and straightforward? A goal to simply “lose weight” or “eat healthy” is not specific. Instead, clearly specify the outcome. “I will lose five pounds by May 15.” “I will eat five servings of fruits and vegetables daily.” Being specific allows us to clearly focus on what we accomplish. Continue reading
Make it Better
By Guest Blogger on January 9th, 2013
The New Year is fantastic. The annual explosion of holiday consumerism has died down and settled into soft piles of crumpled paper and curled ribbon. There’s the sense of joy from spending quality time with family and loved ones (or waving them farewell until next time). But my favorite part of the New Year is the enormous amount of possibility waiting just around the corner. After all, just look at all the cool stuff that happened in 2012:
http://www.google.com/zeitgeist/2012/#the-world
The New Year is a reminder to keep moving forward and to make things better. And you don’t have to free fall from space, win a gold medal or even win an election to seize the possibility in your own life. You just have to ask yourself a simple question. Is there a better way? Here are a few things I learned asking myself that in 2012: Continue reading