Roanoke River Blueway Debris Removal from Rivers Edge Pedestrian Bridge
Roanoke River Blueway Debris Removal from Rivers Edge Pedestrian Bridge – Photo album of joint effort by Roanoke Stormwater, Parks & Rec, and Solid Waste Employees
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Zappos Says Farewell To Job Postings
Zappos Says Farewell To Job Postings
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Zappos has a new program called Zappos Insider, which can be found on their careers page. The Zappos Insider was created as a place for candidates to reference so they can learn more about the company and its culture. To do so, the candidates will need to become members of Zappos Insider.
By becoming a member, candidates have the opportunity to chat with Zappos Ambassadors. This interaction places them in a position of higher consideration when openings become available. The candidates who invest the time to enroll and learn more about the company are given preference. This process eliminates candidates who apply anywhere and everywhere. The Zappos Insider program encourages a more engaged relationship between the employer and prospective employees.
Be a Success in Life and Business with an Elevator Pitch
Be a Success in Life and Business with an Elevator Pitch
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Your words are your most important competitive weapons. In this regard, your ability to deliver a compelling elevator pitch is crucial to achieve success. There are many situations where you have only a minute or two to make a positive first impression. You must be able to deliver a compelling and memorable message.
How Successful People Start their Day
How Successful People Start their Day
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All hours have sixty minutes, not all hours are created equal. Some will fly by as you are “in the flow,” doing something you find exciting and fulfilling.
In the summer of 2012, Fast Company looked at how successful people spend the first hour of their day, and not one included getting bogged down in tasks and processes.Just as we did in high school homeroom, our first hour should include private reflection, reviewing our schedule, catching up with our colleagues, and choosing the One Big Thing that you want to accomplish for that day.
#1 – Stay Away from the Minutia
#2 – Gain Awareness & Be Grateful
#3 – Choose Your Frog
#4 – Ask Yourself if You’re Doing What You Want to Do
N.H. city alderman sees need for Wellness Coordinator
N.H. city alderman sees need for wellness coordinator
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As city health costs soar, ‘wellness’ post pushed in Manchester
A member of the Board of Mayor and Alderman says he thinks the city can spend less on health coverage for employees by hiring a $48,000-per-year wellness coordinator to make sure municipal workers eat right, exercise and receive preventive medical care.
Alderman Garth Corriveau will renew his bid Tuesday to convince colleagues to create the position of city health and wellness officer in the Health Department.
The city is self-insured for most health claims and contracts; reinsurance companies cover excess coverage claims.
Corriveau said the goal for the new city job is to move city worker health plans from a system that pays fees for health care services to one that rewards good health. The wellness officer will try to teach city workers about the importance of good health practices and assist employees in working with the health insurance system.
”I believe with $40 million in annual spending, we can find massive amounts of savings; we can be more cost-effective,” Corriveau said. “I now believe this is an initiative we can’t afford not to do.”
The original 2010 proposal from Corriveau came soon after city Public Health Director Tim Soucy issued a “concept paper” on creation of an Employee Health and Wellness Program.
Soucy said at the time that a city wellness program could be constructed to look into “evidence-based practices that demonstrate reductions in municipal health care costs and improved health outcomes of city employees.”
National Roadway Work Zone Awareness Week – April 7-11, 2014
National Roadway Work Zone Awareness Week runs Monday, April 7–Friday, April 11.
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NWZAW began in 1999 with a partnership between the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, the Federal Highway Administration, and the American Traffic and Safety Services Association to promote work zone safety. Since then, state DOTs and transportation groups have joined the effort each April to reduce fatalities and promote safer driving practices.
This year’s theme “Work Zone Speeding: A Costly Mistake” through National Work Zone Awareness Week, bringing attention to the various fines and jail time that accompany work zone speeding.
“It is not unusual to see drivers with a cell phone to their ear, trying to maneuver through traffic cones and construction equipment,” said AASHTO President and KYTC Secretary Mike Hancock in a statement. “We’re asking drivers to consider work zones as ‘no phone zones’ in order to keep everyone safe on our roadways.”
5 ways to be better at processing feedback
5 ways to be better at processing feedback
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Every leader needs honest feedback, but it’s all too easy to intimidate or stifle the people capable of giving it to you, writes Mary Jo Asmus. To get better feedback, stop being defensive and embrace criticism. “Someone giving their honest observations is like getting a gift carefully picked out especially for you,” Asmus writes
Roanoke reports it’s nearly finished plowing City Streets
Roanoke reports it’s nearly finished plowing streets
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WDBJ7 tagged along Sunday morning with a Roanoke Snowfighter Mike Webster
Susan Bahorich, sbahorich@wdbj7.com
These folks have been working 24-7 since snow started to fall Wednesday. As of Saturday night, the city has plowed 97-percent of residential streets. Drivers were back at it Sunday to make sure nothing had been missed.
The city says it has learned some lessons from past storms: extra resources from other department are now called in to help clear the roads. “We’ve had a lot of guys who work really hard. In comparison that 17-inches of snow in 2009 in December. It took us 6-days to clear that particular storm and we did this one in two- once the snow and precipitation stopped,” explains Street and Landscape Superintendent Dwayne D’Ardenne.
D’Ardenne says there were a few obstacles to clearing this storm. The first was how quickly the snow fell. The other: parking. It’s a challenge for plow drivers when people abandon their cars in the middle of the road. The city asks that you try to park to one side to give the plows more room.
Now that plowing is nearly complete- starting Tuesday night the city will work on hauling snow from on-street parking downtown. It plans to continue that, as long as it’s necessary.
Nice piece from WSLS reporter Katie Love with Roanoke Snowfighter Michelle Phoenix
Nice piece from WSLS reporter Katie Love who caught up with longtime Roanoke Snowfighter Michelle Phoenix yesterday.
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The next few days is all about getting snow off the roads for employees with Roanoke City’s Public Works, Parks and Recreation, and Solid Waste Management.
Michelle Phoenix is one of the people working long hours to get the streets plowed.
Phoenix works for Roanoke City’s Parks and Recreation Department and part of her job is to plow snow.
She’s done this for about 25 years now and says this winter storm is one of the worse.
“It’s going to be a long process today and probably a couple more days before we get everything done,” Michelle Phoenix says.
Phoenix says this is a heavy and think snow which makes it harder to move off of the streets. She says it takes her multiple times going up and down a road to make some progress.
Although, a lot of progress has been made so far. Roanoke City leaders say 100% of primary streets have been plowed and treated. They say working on the secondary roads will take longer, but they are working around the clock.
City leaders remind people to call 211 if they are having issues with the roads and only dial 911 in an emergency.
How Emotionally Intelligent Are You? Here’s 14 ways to tell
How Emotionally Intelligent Are You? Here’s 14 ways to tell
What makes some people more successful in work and life than others? IQ and work ethic are important, but they don’t tell the whole story. Our emotional intelligence — the way we manage emotions, both our own and those of others — can play a critical role in determining our happiness and success.
Plato said that all learning has some emotional basis, and he may be right. The way we interact with and regulate our emotions has repercussions in nearly every aspect of our lives. To put it in colloquial terms, emotional intelligence (EQ) is like “street smarts,” as opposed to “book smarts,” and it’s what accounts for a great deal of one’s ability to navigate life effectively.
“What having emotional intelligence looks like is that you’re confident, good at working towards your goals, adaptable and flexible. You recover quickly from stress and you’re resilient,” Daniel Goleman, psychologist and author of Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence, tells The Huffington Post. “Life goes much more smoothly if you have good emotional intelligence.”
The five components of emotional intelligence, as defined by Goleman, are self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, social skills and empathy. We can be strong in some of these areas and deficient in others, but we all have the power to improve any of them.
Are you ignoring your top performers? 4 Steps to Coach Your Really Good Employees
Are you ignoring your top performers? 4 Steps to Coach Your Really Good Employees
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Top employees typically receive less coaching than do underperformers, which can be a source of frustration for talented workers who want to grow professionally, Avery Augustine writes. Meet with top performers to discuss their goals and suggest new challenges, and don’t let them become “complacent about their jobs,” Augustine writes. “Your star employees may not seem like they need much guidance, but giving them a little more attention can help them become even better employees—which will benefit everyone (including you!).”
WSLS10’s Rachel Lucas produced a great followup story with Roanoke Snowfighter Jamie King
WSLS10’s Rachel Lucas produced a great followup story with Roanoke Snowfighter Jamie King. Snow and ice isn’t the only danger for snow crews.
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Johnson County KS installs treadmill desks for 911 dispatchers
Johnson County KS installs treadmill desks for 911 dispatchers
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The Johnson County, Kan., Emergency Communications Center has added four treadmill desks for 911 dispatchers so they spend time walking while working. Dispatcher Heather Beabout says she and her colleagues get few opportunities to leave their desks, so the treadmill “makes the shift go a little better and gives me a little energy.”
Hire for attitude, work ethic – 5 ways to weed out wrong candidates
Hire for attitude, work ethic to find best employees – 5 Ways to Weed Out the Wrong Candidates http://ht.ly/rFS6g
Focusing on candidates with the right attitude, asking difficult questions during the interview and doing a thorough background check are key steps in finding the best employees, writes Joe Apfelbaum, CEO of Ajax Union. “The reasons for which a candidate has left other jobs, or is willing to leave a current position, reveal a good deal about their personality, work ethic and priorities,” Apfelbaum writes. Young Entrepreneur Council (12/9)
Grunder Great Ideas Video: Begin with the End in Mind – Applied to Hiring Employees
Grunder Great Ideas Video: Begin with the End in Mind – Apply this 7 Habits principle to hiring employees. http://youtu.be/L4jqKUiVccU
Shape 2014 with an effective year-end employee message
Shape 2014 with an effective year-end employee message http://ht.ly/rpD1u
While the content and tone will differ depending on the sender and audience, within the general format you’ll want to:
•Thank employees/team members for their hard work during the past year. If you don’t have time or the inclination to draft the full message, this is the core and very basic element you should include.
•Review accomplishments against annual goals. Public companies will need to protect against divulging anything that is not yet public or could be considered material. This section should also focus on the accomplishments of the particular audience and tie them back to the larger organization’s goals so that employees can see how their contribution fits.
•Acknowledge specific achievements, such as handling of an acquisition, divestiture or reorganization; reaching a stretch goal; completing an initiative or activity that was above and beyond the group’s normal responsibilities; or expanding the organization/group’s capacities in a new, value-adding direction. This reinforces organizational values and encourages employees to repeat the actions and attitudes it took to accomplish that success.
•Make a general reference to the coming year’s goals/focus. Notice that this is a general reference, not a detailed review. Hone in on the key areas, be it customers, sales or innovation, and why those areas are critical for success. Those in groups or divisions should tie the group’s goals back to the overall organization’s goals.
•Reiterate the end of the year’s opportunity to take a breath before the new year begins. This is a significant component. Some employees feel they need permission to enjoy a holiday or even take time off. Others see it as proof that management does, indeed, have a heart. Most simply appreciate acknowledgement of the holiday season, their hard work and marking the year’s passing.
•Wish them a happy new year. Consider alternatives such as “happy holidays” or “season’s greetings” depending on the organization’s culture and the delivery mechanism.
Multiply your business results by staying on your side of the line
Are you staying on your side of the line? http://ht.ly/pz6FD
If you imagine all the activities that take place in your business, we could divide them into two piles: On one side are all the things you do best; on the other are the things your team members do best. Between these, there’s a line—and you can use this line to multiply your business’s results while making it a more enjoyable and rewarding outlet for your abilities.
How to Better Deal With Angry People
How to Better Deal With Angry People http://ht.ly/pgSdq
Recognize that a person’s outward emotion—anger—is really a signal of that person’s perception of loss of something that is important to them. Your challenge is to defuse the emotion, identify the perceived loss, and create a plan of action to address the issue. In other words, your challenge is to find a way to work together more effectively and respectfully.
Naps really do boost your brain power
Naps really do boost your brain power and Why you should have one today! http://ht.ly/pgOMp
How do naps affect your brain? Here’s a compilation of studies that suggest you should take a nap today. Also, four simple steps to getting the most out of it.
Four qualities that make someone a “multiplier” team member
Four qualities that make someone a “multiplier” team member: http://ht.ly/lomif
Beyond skills, experience, strengths, & personality, how can you tell who’s going to be a real keeper? Who’s going to be worth your investment of money and trust?
#Healthy #Employees are cheaper, more productive employees – Example Business Programs
#Healthy #Employees are cheaper, more productive employees. #Business examples of #practical programs: http://ht.ly/kLltT
Supercharge your Conversations – #CuriousQuestions empower others
Supercharge your Conversations – #CuriousQuestions empower others and allows one to learn. http://ht.ly/hwuYz
#PeoplePartnership – Coming together is
#PeoplePartnership – Coming together is beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success http://ht.ly/gp3fW
GoProGreen.com 