Meant for Success

The Conference is over and it’s now time to get back to it. Before I headed to the IPRA Conference I read a great article by Susan Ford Collins about "Success Steps." Here are a few of those steps...

1. Share the Big Picture: You never know who is "thinking and dreaming like you."
2. Correct Gear: Sometimes I feel like I am the talking head... Read the audience! I look around the table knowing to slow down. You don’t’ want to burn yourself and everybody else out.
3. Each Day a Successful Day: Tell yourself "good job" for changing a process, eating a healthy snack or just taking a five-minute walk outside your office.
4. New Skills: Schedule time every week to improve you. We have a new software program where staff can watch a video for five minutes and learn a new skill. Share it.
5. Trapped: Can’t figure what to do or how to do it... Walk Away!!!! Do something else. Clear your head!
6. Help: "Ask for help." Don’t pretend to know everything... It is a total waste of time. Post it in our Communities or ask a Department or District.
7. Flexibility: Reaching your goal, don’t always go as planned. Grasp a few visionaries, and the steps will fall in-line.
8. Delegate with Detail: Spell it out with co-workers and details will come together.
9. Forever-On-My-Mind: Do you fall asleep thinking about that "Big Picture" thing or a task that needs to be done. Alpha waves appear when you are relaxed right before you fall asleep. Often the most productive time of the day.
10. Oppose: If you disagree, put your thoughts together and stand-up for your "whatever." Nothing is better than a big discussion on changing whatever. This is often a daily event in our office.

If you believe you want to be successful, you will be.

 

Mary Jeanne Hutchison, Director

O'Fallon Parks and Recreation Department