WOW Word-Of-the-Week #508: Authentic
April 30, 2014 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on WOW Word-Of-the-Week #508: Authentic
Authentic – genuine; real.
How did you do last week coming up with three or four characteristics that describe what you offer or aspire to offer? What are your strengths and what you do really well? Do you consistently exhibit your own authentic behavior?
This week’s WOW is the follow up to last week’s from a San Diego UT article titled, “How to build your personal, professional brand.” Personal branding is an elusive topic to most people, yet it is important for career success. Wise professionals with career success know it can mean the difference between landing that dream job and never getting noticed.
“You may think you don’t need a brand, but the reality is that you already have one,” says Jana Fallon, vice president, Executive Development for Prudential Financial. She recommends five specific actions you can take today to improve your brand reputation. This week I will share the next two.
R = Reflect
Reflect on your strengths and liabilities frequently. What is the unique value that you have to offer and what do you aspire to be? Think about your strengths
and what you do really well. What do you want to be known for in business? What differentiates you? Use those reflections to establish your unique brand. Perhaps you want to be known as a very curious, engaged consultant. Or perhaps your unique brand is one of intelligence, candor and strong ethics.
A = Actions Speak
In order to sustain your brand, you have to act accordingly. Your behaviors and the decisions you make daily impact your brand. Be bold in defining your brand and then have the courage to live up to that brand promise. If you are finding it challenging to start living your brand, find someone that has a style, behavior or an approach that you admire. Emulate what works. Try it yourself and see if it feels right for you. Experiment until you find your own authentic behavior.
This week’s focus is on being authentic. What do you aspire to be? What is the unique value that you have to offer? If you need help who do you know that has a style, behavior or an approach that you admire?
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WOW Word-Of-the-Week #507: Branding
April 23, 2014 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on WOW Word-Of-the-Week #507: Branding
Branding – the promise of the value you will deliver.
Do you have a personal, professional brand? What qualities are you known for that could get you that new job or the promotion you want? What does your professional reputation say about you?
This week’s WOW comes from a San Diego Union article titled, “How to build your personal, professional brand.” Personal branding is an elusive topic to most people, yet it is important for career success. Wise professionals with career success know it can mean the difference between landing that dream job and never getting noticed.
“You may think you don’t need a brand, but the reality is that you already have one,” says Jana Fallon, vice president, Executive Development for Prudential Financial. “By managing that professional reputation you already have, you increase your chances of being known for qualities that can land your dream job or get you noticed by a company you have always wanted to work for. If you do start actively managing your brand, you can find real power in knowing and sharing what your unique differentiators are.
Fallon recommends five specific actions you can take today to improve your brand reputation. This week I will share the first one.
B=Build
Build your brand by first defining what you want that brand to be. To make this simpler, it should include no more than three or four characteristics that describe what you offer or aspire to offer. It is good to be aspirational but it also must be realistic. If you are having trouble getting started, begin by asking people you trust what they immediately associate with you. Ask for honest feedback and listen to what you hear.
This week’s focus is on your personal branding. What are your top four characteristics that describe what you offer? Who do you trust to give you honest feedback on this?
I LOVE feedback! Join my Facebook community on my FUN-damentals Fan Page.
WOW Word-Of-the-Week #506: Engaged
April 17, 2014 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on WOW Word-Of-the-Week #506: Engaged
Engaged – actively interested and involved.
Are you “actively interested and involved” in your job? Do you know anyone who is not engaged in their job and who “goes through the motions” just to get a paycheck? If your employer offered you $5000 to quit would you take it?
This week’s WOW comes from the LA Times article written by Ricardo Lopez titled, “Amazon to pay workers to quit: It will offer as much as $5000 to weed out unproductive or dissatisfied employees.”
Lopez writes, “Quitters wanted: Unhappy with your job? Feeling unproductive? Take $5000 and go. At least, that’s what Amazon. Com Inc. is offering its 
warehouse employees. Dubbed Pay to Quit, the program is offered once a year to employees who work in Amazon fulfillment centers.
“The goal is to encourage folks to take a moment and think about what they really want. In the long run, an employee staying somewhere they don’t want to be isn’t healthy for the employee or the company,” says CEO Jeffrey Bezos.
Both Netflix and Zappos also offer bonuses to quit. They would rather have less-than-stellar employees leave with money in their pockets and fill their spots with more talented employees. The end result is to have a more engaged workforce.
A recent study of the American workplace by Gallup found that 70% of workers are “not engaged” or “actively disengaged,” workers who are simply going through the motions and counting down until the end of the workday.
Collectively, these employees cost the U.S. economy $450 billion to $550 billion a year in lost productivity, Gallup estimated.
This week’s focus is on being engaged. How many people do you work with that you would say are unproductive? How about dissatisfied? Would you say it is over two-thirds? How would it feel to work in a place where everyone is engaged and committed to their job?
NACUFS April 2014
April 14, 2014 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on NACUFS April 2014
Dear Ms. Clarke:
As the Conference Chair, I would like to personally thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to serve as the opening session speaker at the 2014 NACUFS Southern Regional Conference held March 24-26, 2014 here on campus. We hosted more than 200 attendees from over 80 businesses and Universities for three days full of information, guest speakers, networking and delicious food!
Your presence and message helped set the tone for the conference and welcomed the entire Southern Region to Oklahoma State University. I particularly enjoyed your focus on being “persistently positive”, always being an updraft and not a down draft, using mental manipulation to put a positive twist on draining situations, and of course your twist on the Golden Rule!
It was truly an honor to have you be a part of our conference. This event would not have been a success without the positive message and inspiration you brought to the group. On behalf of the entire NACUFS organization, I deeply appreciate your contribution to and support of the college and University dining community and hope you found the conference to be a beneficial opportunity to share your valuable life lessons.
Sincerely,
Terry Baker Vedda Hsu
Conference Chair Conference Co-Chair
Director, University Dining Services Manager, University Dining Services
WOW Word-Of-the-Week #505: Role Model
April 10, 2014 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on WOW Word-Of-the-Week #505: Role Model
Role Model – one who sets a good example.
How many times have you heard, “Actions speak louder than words? Are you a leader that role models the behavior that you would like you staff to exhibit? Do your manager’s role model the behavior they expect of you?
This is the follow up and final WOW taken from the Expert Advice Column in the Charlotte (N.C.) Observer, written by Jennie Wong and titled “3 MISTAKES EVEN GOOD MANAGERS CAN MAKE.”
Jennie writes, “If you’re new to managing others, you are undoubtedly on a learning curve of your own. But what if you’ve been doing it for a while? What if 
you’re actually pretty good at it? Chances are, you’re still making these common mistakes. Good managers inadvertently commit these errors all the time, but once you realize where the stumbling blocks are, you can make a different choice and evolve to the next level of leadership.
Mistake No. 3 – Modeling the Wrong Behavior
You’re probably saying all of the right things to your staff. But are you leading by example? For instance, you may tell your employees it’s important to keep their skills up to date, but when was the last time you invested the time and money to learn a new skill or attend an industry conference?
Perhaps you want your sales reps to be out there networking, but how many mixers and meet-ups have you been to this quarter? Or do you tell your employees to stay home when they are sick but insist on soldiering into the office when you have your case of the sniffles?
Managers are people too, and we each have our own imperfections. The trick is to make sure you are setting a good example in your key actions.”
This week’s focus is on role modeling. Do your actions speak louder than your words? Do your managers expect you to act differently than they do? Do you know someone who is a good model? What could learn from them?