PRESS RELEASE

MIRAMAR, FL — July 19, 2010 — Training, a 41-year-old professional development magazine, released their 3rd annual Top Young Trainer (TYT) Awards. These awards honor the outstanding talents, accomplishments, and leadership exhibited by learning professionals age 40 and under. As part of these awards, Kristin Mackey was recognized as one of this year’s 10 Young Trainers to Watch and was profiled in the July/Aug issue to Training Magazine.

Award recipients were nominated by their peers and selected by an independent judging panel of Training’s editors and members of their Editorial Advisory Board. Candidates for the award and Watch list are required to have managed a large-scale training & development initiative, successfully solved a training challenge, consistently introduce and lead successful and innovative training solutions while acting as a mentor/coach. The Children’s Service Council of Broward County nominated Mrs. Mackey for her outstanding work as part of the Broward Training Collaborative.

This work included creating and delivering seminars on: Management Skills, Delivering Customer Focused Service, Building High Performance Teams and Delivering Powerful Presentations. Kristin also co-authored, with Coach Scott Baker, I AM Worthy of Greatness, an eBook written to help young adults aging out of foster care to create and achieve goals that help them successfully transition into the next phase of their lives.

“It is an honor to be recognized by such a reputable publication within the training industry, and to have been given the delightful opportunity to work with The Children Services Council of Broward County,” stated Kristin Mackey. “I look forward to a continued partnership in creating and delivering programs that deliver essential and inspirational tools for those who influence children.”

They will understand your vision and deliver an excellent website from concept to click. Not surprisingly, they were recognized in web galleries – in laymen speak, that means the folks that are experts on top quality web designs, thought Paperstreet rocked.

Here is their link – click, bookmark and explore greater how cool they are. And this is not an “advertisement”. I just think they are awesome and work beautifully with high-tech and non-tech folks alike. Being a former HR professional myself, working in and out of small and large organizations, I know well that there is nothing more important then positive, supportive, high-trust relationships with excellent folks who have vision. Let Paperstreet design your website, upgrade your current one or even handle your newsletter…after all, you have people to inspire! Your website is an extension of you, make it count.

Paperstreet

We create web sites that impress and increase inquiries for professionals working in the Human Resources field. Some of our clients include HR consultants, speakers, recruiters, managers, and small businesses, as well as labor and employment attorneys.

2. When do I feel the most focus and why? Try to identify the elements that are encouraging your  greater focus.  We are all so unique and respond to people and environments differently. Being aware of what “works for you” is a lifelong question that encourages continuous refinement in your work systems.  For me, I like to write out an entire picture of what I want to accomplish in the long run then begin pulling “weeds” that sap too much of my energy toward that vision.  Life is an organic and ever-changing environment….go with it.

3.What tool will help my focus? We are physical beings with physical lives, so even if you had the much-admired “photographic-memory” in school and aced your tests with little study – since you could recall information so well -  it probably falls short with today’s sheer volume of information and demands.  This does not mean you need what your neighbor has in terms of gadgets, but what will support your very unique operating system called your brain. In other words, it should be effortless to use. My personal rule is that my planning tool should be visual as well as easily adjust to  my current lifestyle (flexible in design)….and I must enjoy using it otherwise….I won’t.

When we focus, we simply offer better quality.

Blog posts will focus on making your life and work EASIER – without compromising quality or excellence. Explore the free creative tools, NEW cartoons, NEW articles and much more!

Check out the awesome possibilities when you choose a FranklinCovey course that meets your specific needs.

I make excellence easy with the right tools, commitment and attitude.  Its my passion.

As Mike Dooley says in his new book Infinite Possibilities, life is about fun and growth. If there is something we are doing and it is not for fun or growth, we may want to take a deeper look at it.  Are we trying to feel powerful or important…are we trying to prove something…are we trying to get happiness from something outside of us?  We cannot “buy” or “get” happiness because happiness is what we naturally are when we have inner peace.  When we try to “get” happy from something outside of us, we soon find it does not last.  Happiness and inner peace are inside jobs.

Life is an opportunity to have fun, be creative and expand our consciousness.
We take to the grave, clutched to our hands…only what we have given away. 

You are the boss and notice your highly-skilled leadership team is slacking and impacting the rest of the team!

The Terrain…

Your relationship with the leadership team may be a tad more sensitive then usual (boss/friend dynamics can (not always) make communications a hair awkward. Usually such relationships require the highest of integrity on the part of the “employee” as to never communicate (verbally/non-verbally thru behavior) to the “boss” that their “being friendly and cool” will undermine their (boss’s) authority.

Solution Suggestions:

Option 1:

Awkward Scale: 5
Effectiveness: 4-5 (character-dependent)
The “heart to heart” conversation with leadership.
This one totally depends on your comfort level with direct confrontation.
Example: Call it a leadership meeting (you should have these)…..” Hi guys, I wanted to pull you aside as we close the year to address something I noticed may be impacting the team’s productivity. Although I feel you have excellent skills, and I understand this leadership role is new (if it is)…it is important as leaders now to set the right tone for the team. We continue to grow and expand…and although (insert company name) prides itself on its casual/creative (or insert your company’s values) atmosphere, its important as leaders that we continue to develop the right skills that will support its expansion. This team watches everything you do (that is leadership 101) and your choices send messages to the team. Although not an everyday occurrence, it is still important that if a job is pending beyond the day’s time, we show tenacity. Being committed to a project’s completion sends the right message to the team. We can keep an open dialogue should you notice an operational issue but I really need you to show the others the importance of commitment and follow through on projects (or insert specific issue).  All projects need to be completed within (insert time frame or other expectation).”

Option 2:

Awkward Scale (1-5): 2
Effectiveness: 3-5
Productivity Tracking
Track anything that would make “the conversation” easier. That way its not personal but about the work itself (which you have every right to expect the best, and present that to them.

Focus on anything that can be tracked and present/communicate a desire to improve that in 2010. Communicate your desire to prevent their overtime thru improvement which inadvertently also communicates that the expectation is that job/s need to be finished or whatever your specific expectation may be.
Tool: A short/quick end of year customer survey may give you the needed data to support work-improvement conversation.

Option 3:

Leadership Tip Sheet
Awkward Scale: 0
Effectiveness: 1- 4 (personal accountability dependent)
I would be happy to create a one-sheet of customized Leadership Behaviors that you can include/attach to job reviews… I would recommend this sheet be linked with a watered-down version of the Option 2 talk…explaining the vision/goals for next year and behaviors expected of leadership… or simply create your own according to your organizations’  vision, mission and values..  FranklinCovey also has excellent resources for ideal leadership behaviors.

Embrace the new year with on-task leadership team.   The leadership team drives the entire tone of your organization.  Whether you have 2 people or 200, top down influence is real.  Don’t ignore its impact or it could get very expensive.

Florida Children’s Sevices Council NEWS UPDATE!

Click for your free copy:

I AM Worthy of Greatness by Kristin Mackey and Scott Baker

Written for transitioning youth that have aged out of the foster care system…because regardless of where you are in life or where you want to go…. you cannot achieve your own definition of GREATNESS unless you believe you can.

Kristen Mackey, a longtime trainer for the Children’s Services Council of Broward County, has released I AM Worthy of Greatness, available as a free download (link below). Authored with Scott Baker, the book was written especially for young adults aging out of foster care at SOS Children’s Villages – Florida in Coconut Creek. It is applicable, however, to transitioning youth everywhere and has already received positive feedback from readers. It even inspired one to launch a creative project.

The short book is about healing, clarifying and creating a life aligned with one’s passion and vision. It also includes practical advice and useful links in the toolbox at the end.

“I feel the book was a huge inspirational support for young adults who have aged out of foster care,” said LaShonda Cross, Aftercare Coordinator at SOS Children’s Villages. “ It can be used to assist each individual to identify with their inner emotions. The title of the book not only speaks esteem to the young adults but it allows each of them to reflect on the fact that they are worth greatness.”

Please see the free resource below:

http://www.kristinmackey.com/shop/i-am-worthy-of-greatness-by-kristin-mackey-scott-baker/

Evan J. Goldman, Esq.

Manager of Public Affairs & Organizational Development

Children’s Services Council of Broward County

“Our Focus is Our Children”

6600 W. Commercial Blvd.

Lauderhill, FL 33319

t: (954) 377-1667

f: (954) 377-1683

Email: egoldman@cscbroward.org

CSC Website: www.cscbroward.org

Advocacy Corner: http://advocacy.cscbroward.org

Training Website: http://training.cscbroward.org

http://www.paperstreet.com

… for these reasons:

1. They are extremely creative and progressive with their concepts

2. The team’s professionalism is unmatched

3. They take the time to find solutions and take pride in being the best

4. They deliver

So if you are looking to partner with a creative team that demonstrates excellent concept and execution skills, check out the folks at Paperstreet.