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FYI Newsletter – August 2019
How to Speak so that People Want to Listen
Our TED Talk recommendation this month is by Julian Treasure, whom provides guidance on speaking powerfully to make change in the world. He prefaces this by stating seven deadly sins of speaking, which are: gossip, judging, negativity, complaining, excuses, lying, and dogmatism. Julian goes on to provide four cornerstones to combat these sins, using the acronym HAIL: Honesty, Authenticity, Integrity, and Love.
Julian poses the question: “What would the world be like if we were creating sound consciously and consuming sound consciously and designing all our environments consciously for sound?”
And continues on to state, “That would be a world that does sound beautiful, and one where understanding would be the norm.”
Find this Ted Talk at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIho2S0ZahI
This article was published in the Future Leaders & Entrepreneurs Exchange’s (FLEX) July 2019 edition of the FLEX Your Ideas (FYI) Newsletter.
July 2019 Young Professional Profiles: Brian Payne & Jessica Wilson
Brian Payne is one of our newest FLEX members. He is originally from Hadley, PA, and graduated from Edinboro University with bachelor’s degrees in Forensic Accounting and Financial Planning.
Brian now works as a CPA Tax Supervisor at McGill, Power, Bell & Associates in Franklin. He has acquired his CPA and CFE designations and takes great pride and enjoyment from his work and his career achievements. Future goals of his are to become a partner at McGill, Power, Bell, as well as to learn a foreign language (probably Russian).
One of the things he loves about working in Venango County is the small town environment. The way people treat each other with a welcoming kindness is one of the biggest reasons he enjoys living here. Brian enjoys the fun Chamber events where he can go to learn and network with other professionals.
Brian is also an avid Pirates fan, who will forever hope they win a World Series. His hobbies are yet another reason he enjoys Venango County. When he is not working, he can be found fishing and spending time with his girlfriend, Stephanie.
Some other parts of the Venango culture that Brian appreciates are tasting beers at Trails to Ales, seeing local live bands at Red Bandana Winery, and spending time with family.
Jessica Wilson has lived in Oil City since she was two years old. She was home schooled for most of her elementary and high school years and graduated high school in 2017. During high school, she played varsity volleyball at Oil City High School and worked at the Oil City YMCA as a lifeguard.
Jessica pursues a communication degree with a marketing minor at Geneva College. She is a long distance runner and gets to enjoy this hobby at school by participating in the cross country and track teams.
Some of her achievements include being on the dean’s list every semester at Geneva College and helping to found a communication production club. Through this club, she has also filmed campus wide promotional videos. Last year, she spent time working at The Derrick and The News-Herald as an advertising intern, where she helped to sell and design ads for the paper and various tabloids. She also works during the semester in the Geneva College PR and Marketing Services department.
When she is not running around Oil City or on the bike trail, Jessica enjoys reading, cooking, hiking at Oil Creek State Park, movies, and spending time with family and friends. This summer she can be found working at the Venango Chamber of Commerce.
One of her future goals is to “be just like my mom.” She also hopes to work in PR and Marketing helping companies further their mission statements and do what they do best. Jessica also hopes to travel more within the country and abroad, continue running, and have many adorable cats.
This article was published in the Venango Area Chamber of Commerce’s July 2019 VenangoWorks! Newsletter.
Everyone is a Leader
When many hear the word “leader,” they imagine a CEO, executive director, or president. At the FLEX Speakers Series in June, panel participants assured attendees that “everyone is a leader.” The panel consisted of six of the 13 graduates of the inaugural class of Leadership Venango, the Venango Chamber’s new leadership program.
Brian McNulty, Randy Arnold, Dan Flaherty, Greg Lander, Ashley Smith, and Tessa Byham shared their experience and advice from the nine-month program. Leadership Venango is designed to identify, educate, involve and motivate individuals who desire to become more effective leaders, and participants got to know the region.
“It wasn’t just about leadership, but about getting to know your community,” said Ashley. “Most of the places we visited are hiring and expanding, and our eyes were opened to all we have here.”
Several sessions helped participants learn more about themselves, too, and involved personality tests, mindfulness, and diversity.
“Many of the activities helped us build self-awareness, which in turn makes us better leaders in our community and work,” said Tessa.
“Learning my strengths and weaknesses enlightened me and has helped me strategize how I can use those to better work with others,” Brian added.
The participants networked with local leaders, as well as the other participants, forming a “family” they described. “We found we’re not all that different and were able to grow and develop together,” said Dan. “We learned the community needs people to step up and this program gave us the empowerment and skills to do that.”
At the Speaker Series, each panelist covered a topic, including honorable leadership, community, economic development, and communications. “Leadership is what you make of it and the value you bring in your position,” said Randy.
The Chamber is currently accepting applications for the next class, which begins in September.
“Leadership is not knowing all the answers, but where to find them,” Greg said. “This program helped us build connections and knowledge to do just that.”
Learn more about Leadership Venango, at leadershipvenango.org or get in touch with us—we can connect you with graduates who are happy to share more about the program.
This article was published in the Future Leaders & Entrepreneurs Exchange’s (FLEX) July 2019 edition of the FLEX Your Ideas (FYI) Newsletter.
Creating a Positive Experience For You and Your Intern
Summer is finally here and for many of us, we are fortunate to have a college intern (or two) joining us for the next few months. It may be tempting to think of extra staff as the opportunity to boost your office with some affordable help and, let’s be honest, many interns will spend a good bit of time doing busy work, fielding phone calls, filing stacks from our desks, and running errands.
But if that’s all they’re doing, we’re wasting a wonderful chance to infuse our offices with new ideas and energy, while short changing their experience. So how can you and your intern make the most of your time together?
Start with a Plan
Before your intern’s first day, you should have a good idea of what their daily tasks will include. Discuss what goals you have for your time together and invite your intern to share what they hope to take away from this work experience.
Invite Input
We all talk about engaging young people, so once you are together, take the time to meet regularly and ask for feedback on your business. Take advantage of what your intern is currently learning in school and find ways to incorporate this newfound knowledge in what you’re doing, even if it may be a little uncomfortable.
Be a Great Example
Make sure you are always modeling good behavior. Having the extra help in the office is not a good excuse for you to slack. Be on time, dress as you would expect them to dress, and remember how you talk about others will reflect on the character of you and your business.
Let Them Know You Care
Ask your intern to share their career goals and be willing to share your journey. By letting them know what has worked for you AND what hasn’t, you can help them envision the many possible paths (even bumpy) to success. Genuinely attempt to learn what’s most important to them, personally and professionally, and invest time into supporting their priorities.
Have Fun!
Most interns will have some anxiety, at least initially, as they try to fit into your office culture. Make sure to take some time in your day, or at least week, to invite a little down time. A quick walk for coffee or ice cream or a few minutes laughing about something funny can help lighten stress they may be experiencing, allowing them to be far more productive. It will make your day more fun too, if you are doing it right.
Introduce Us
We’d love to meet your intern! Please give us the chance, by stopping by our office, bringing your intern to our next Chamber event, or sending us a message so we can reach out directly. We want all those spending time in the region to have the best summer ever, with the possibility of staying in or returning to Venango County sometime after graduation.
FLEX will host an Intern Appreciation Luncheon on August 2nd at Komatsu in Franklin. Any students, interns, or young professionals are invited to attend. Find more information at venangoflex.org or on their Facebook page at facebook.com/venangoflex.
This article was published in the Venango Area Chamber of Commerce’s July 2019 VenangoWorks! Newsletter.