Secretary Perdue in Savannah, GA TOMORROW
(Washington, D.C., February 20, 2020) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue will participate in a ReConnect Program Announcement Ceremony with Governor Brian Kemp, Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan, Senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, Congressman Rick Allen, and Commissioners Bubba McDonald, Christopher Nunn, and Tricia Pridemore TOMORROW, Friday, February 21, 2020.
Secretary Perdue and Georgia Leadership to participate in ReConnect Program Announcement Ceremony
WHAT: Secretary Perdue will participate in a multi-million dollar Reconnect Program Announcement Ceremony. Millions in USDA funding will increase e-connectivity, bringing high-speed internet to rural Georgia. Governor Kemp, Lieutenant Governor Duncan, Senators Perdue and Loeffler, Congressman Allen, and Commissioners McDonald, Nunn, and Pridemore will also be in attendance. Following the event, Secretary Perdue will hold a media availability.
WHEN: TOMORROW, Friday, February 21st at 4:00pm ET.
WHERE: Spring Hollow Farm, 5304 Old Highway 250, Claxton, GA 30417
==============
Great (Unmet) Expectations: How to Get Employee Performance Up to Par (and Cut Ties When Necessary)
Deb Boelkes shares advice for holding employees to high standards and taking
(sometimes uncomfortable) action when they don't perform as expected.
Jacksonville, FL (February 2020)—Sooner or later, even the most talent-rich companies wind up with an underperformer on the team. When they're undealt with, these less-than-stellar workers create a negative ripple effect. Your best performers become demotivated, resentment festers, and worst of all, productivity suffers. That's why leaders are supposed to set high expectations for all employees—and hold them accountable for a job done poorly. So why do so many of us drop the ball in this area?
Deb Boelkes says it's often a matter of mindset. We may focus on how unpleasant it is to confront people about performance (or even worse, fire them) and so we procrastinate. We forget we're doing everyone a favor by quickly addressing the problem—including the underperformer.
"You're doing one of two things when you hold someone accountable for not living up to their agreed-on expectations," says Boelkes, author of The WOW Factor Workplace: How to Create a Best Place to Work Culture (Business World Rising, December 2019, ISBN: 978-1-734-07610-3, $19.95). "You're either forcing them to get back on track and do the work they're capable of doing or—if you have to let them go—you're removing them from a situation that was most likely wrong for them in the first place."
In fact, says Boelkes, once the dust dies down, they may come back and thank you. When you can look at it this way, you may be less likely to put off what you know needs to be done.
When organizations consistently set clear and firm expectations and hold people to them, what Boelkes calls "the WOW factor" is more likely to manifest and permeate the entire culture. WOW factor workplaces are those that create a great experience for employees and customers. Part of creating this experience is helping people understand what they must do to succeed, and taking action to prod them back onto the right path if they veer away from it.
Read on for insights from Boelkes's book on helping employees stay accountable and encouraging them to do their best work.
Remember that the performance buck stops with you, the leader. "Blaming others is not an option," says Boelkes. "That's why heartfelt leaders accept total responsibility for the team's and each team member's results. When expectations are not being met, take a moment to assess what YOU can do to improve the employee's performance. They may need mentoring, or a candid discussion about what is preventing them from delivering results, or even a formal warning. It's up to you to choose the right path."
Set expectations upfront. People need to know what "right" looks like. WOW factor workplaces typically have a well-documented set of behavior standards and performance expectations. This is an agreement between you and the employees about what you each expect from each other. If you don't already have such an agreement, schedule a planning session and work with others in the organization to create one.
It's THEIR job to perform, but it's YOUR job to engage and motivate them. Here's what the late Teresa Laraba, former senior vice president of customer services for Southwest Airlines, had to say: "There does have to be a core sense in individuals that motivates them to come to work. They must want to get up in the morning and want to live their life. But once they get to your place of employment, especially as a leader, it is your responsibility to make sure the workplace is as engaging and welcoming as it can be. Especially in our case, you are living out what people expect at Southwest Airlines: a caring environment."
You can't take your team any further than you can take yourself. Great leaders, heartfelt leaders, live by example. To set a good example for your team, work on your own performance. Continue developing new skills and abilities that help you perform your job better. If you work to better yourself, you will be an inspiration to your team, and they will work hard to live up to the same standards.
Build strong relationships with lots of quick check-ins. "If you take the time to get to know your employees as you work with them every day, as you walk by them every day, if you have just two or three one-minute engagements as you walk through your workplace, it builds," said Southwest Airline's Teresa Laraba. "Every time you interact with employees, you should be building those relationships. They will be so much more loyal to the company and to your mission if they know you care as a leader. If you don't invest that time, or you have fooled yourself into thinking you don't have time, or you don't look at every opportunity to interact as time invested in an employee, it's your loss, their loss, and the company's loss."
Reach out if an employee appears unhappy. If you get the sense that one of your employees is upset or struggling, the worst thing you can do is to do nothing. Here's some advice from Laraba: "As leaders, you are responsible for keeping employees engaged, helping to keep morale up, and tapping into why an employee may not be happy. Maybe they don't appear to be motivated, but they have been motivated until now. You can't just ignore that. You must find out what's going on. There is obviously something that's happened. You need to reach out to them. We do not subscribe to 'you leave your problems at the door.' You do, in the sense the customer shouldn't have to pay for your employees' problems, but as leaders you ought to know what's going on with them and find out if there's something that's stopping your employees from delivering on their work promise that day."
Lay out a SMART performance improvement plan... When people aren't meeting agreed-to expectations, leaders of WOW factor workplaces will collaborate with the underperformer, says Boelkes. Together with the employee, develop an improvement plan that spells out SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Reasonable, and Time-bound). Both sides should agree to each improvement objective. Each party is responsible for holding the other accountable to his or her end of the agreed-to bargain.
...and see to it that you both uphold your ends of the deal. If you—the manager—fail to stick to your end of the deal, you start again. If the underperformer fails to achieve each of the SMART goals agreed to in the mutually developed performance improvement plan, the exit plan agreed to in the consequences section of the improvement plan is implemented. "This process may be time-consuming for the manager, but it wastes a whole lot less time and causes far less suffering for everyone in the impacted organization over the long run," says Boelkes.
Here's what Colleen Barrett, president emeritus and corporate secretary of Southwest Airlines, had to say about letting an underperformer go: "I have had to look dear friends in the eye and tell them they couldn't keep a job because of something they'd done or whatever. Or I couldn't recommend them for another job because of whatever, and I still retained the friendship. You know, that's hard. But if you're just honest with people, I think the worst disservice you can do is NOT tell somebody when they are not making the grade. That's just ridiculous."
When expectations are not met, tough love is the right answer. "I haven't had to put too many underperformers on such a plan, but I never hesitated to do so when it was necessary," says Boelkes. "With chronically unhappy or incapable employees, or an obvious cultural misfit, doing so was always the right thing to do, and, in the end, ALL the team members thanked me, even the underperformer. The underperformer either got his or her act together, or moved on to something more in line with his or her passions and desires, which was often the underlying issue in the first place."
If you determine that you must let someone go, do it quickly. Todd Wilcox, founder and executive chairman of Patriot Defense, says, "That's been the one lesson that's been recurring, the one I've been hammering my subordinates on: 'Look. I've been telling you all along. I've made these mistakes in not firing people fast enough.' If I'd have done that sooner with some of the people, we might not have lost some of the value that came along with their catastrophic failures, because we didn't fire them fast enough."
Remember that holding people accountable for performance doesn't mean you don't like and care about them. Howard Behar, former president of Starbucks Coffee, says, "Look, you can like somebody, you can love somebody, but they may not be able to perform in the position they currently have. It doesn't make them bad people. We have this good/bad thing based on performance. Let's assume all people are good. Let's make that assumption: All people are good. As long as you keep that always at the forefront, the person I'm talking to who isn't performing is still a good person, who still has lots of redeeming qualities, then, his or her performance is a different thing. It may be something the person can do, is not able to do, maybe could do in a different kind of job, or maybe do in another company, whatever it happens to be...However, you can still love them; you can still care about them. When they know that, they will do everything they can not to let you down, not to let their teammates down, and not to let themselves down."
The result of holding your employees (and yourself!) to high standards is that your team will exceed your objectives and develop exceptional camaraderie. The best people will want to work for you, and you'll most likely have a stream of superstar performers waiting in the wings.
"Aiming high always pays off," concludes Boelkes. "Expect great things from your people and support them, and they will go above and beyond for you!"
# # #
About the Author:
Deb Boelkes is not just a role model heartfelt leader; she's the ultimate authority on creating best places to work, with 25+ years in Fortune 150 high-tech firms, leading superstar business development and professional services teams. As an entrepreneur, she has accelerated advancement for women to senior leadership. Deb has delighted and inspired over 1,000 audiences across North America.
About the Book:
The WOW Factor Workplace: How to Create a Best Place to Work Culture (Business World Rising, December 2019, ISBN: 978-1-734-07610-3, $19.95) is available from major online booksellers.
=====================
CONTACT
Corina McKendry
State of the Rockies Project
cmckendry@ColoradoCollege.edu
(719) 389-6788
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 20, 2020
COLORADO SPRINGS—The tenth annual Colorado College State of the Rockies Project Conservation in the West Poll released today shows voters in Utah are calling for an aggressive agenda to protect more public lands in the face of threats from climate change impacts and energy development.
Nike Air Force 1 MID Men's Black, Nike Air Force MID Black, Nike Air Force 1 MID - Men's Black/black | 41-04399-4-04 http://nikefreerun6.com/46-nike-air-force-1-mid-men-s-black-nike-air-force-mid-black-nike-air-force-1-mid-men-s-black-black-41-04399-4-04.html
Nike Air Force 1 Low Boys Preschool, Boys Preschool Nike Air Force 1 Low, Nike Air Force 1 Low 06 - Boys' Preschool White/white | 63-70560-3-04 http://nikefreerun6.com97-nike-air-force-1-low-boys-preschool-boys-preschool-nike-air-force-1-low-nike-air-force-1-low-06-boys-preschool-white-white-63-7.html
The poll, which also surveyed the views of voters in seven other Mountain West states (Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, and Wyoming), found that public lands and the outdoor way of life continue to be of deep importance to Utah voters. 64 percent label themselves as “conservationists,” and that perspective informs their votes. 80 percent of voters consider an elected official’s stance on issues involving water, air, wildlife, and public lands “important” when deciding whether to support them. 38 percent say those issues are a “primary factor” in their decision, a marked increase from 25 percent in 2016. Conservation issues were also deemed important by many of the most critical “swing” voter sub-groups in the West, including Latinos, millennials, sportsmen, moderates, and suburban women.
“Support for conservation on public lands has remained consistent and strong over the decade-long history of our poll,” said Corina McKendry, Director of the State of the Rockies Project and an Associate Professor of Political Science at Colorado College. “The urgency and demand for action behind those feelings is now intensifying as voters in Utah and across the West increasingly believe their lands and lifestyles are coming under attack from the impacts of climate change and energy development.”
Utah voters expect their elected officials to advance policies reflecting the predominant conservationist perspective across the region.
69 percent of voters favor a national goal to protect 30 percent of America’s land and ocean areas by 2030.
62 percent want their member of Congress to protect national public lands over allowing more drilling and mining.
70 percent agree that private companies should not profit from using public lands when it limits the public’s enjoyment of the area.
77 percent say the lack of resources to properly maintain public lands is a serious problem.
69 percent support fully funding the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
Voters in Utah view climate change as the second most important environmental problem in their state, trailing only pollution. Climate change as a top concern has increased dramatically over the ten years of the poll from 3 percent in 2011 to 25 percent today. Overall, 65 percent of Utah voters see climate change as a “serious problem,” an increase from 56 percent in 2016. 53 percent say the evidence of climate change requires action.
Utah voters are alarmed about the impacts of climate change, with 52 percent believing the effects over the past ten years have been significant and 59 percent agreeing they will be significant over the next decade. Across the West, women and people of color are especially likely to say there will be significant impacts from climate change felt.
The feared impacts of climate change include more severe wildfires, which are viewed as a serious problem by 84 percent of voters in Utah, reflecting a 12 percent increase over the past four years. To deal with the impacts, 74 percent of voters expect their congressional representatives to have a plan to reduce carbon pollution that contributes to climate change; 77 percent of voters expect the same of their governor.
When it comes to energy development, Utah voters want to make sure public lands are protected and safe.
68 percent of voters view the impacts of mining on land and water as serious problems.
63 percent say the impacts of oil and gas drilling pose a serious problem.
66 percent of voters support increasing royalty fees for drilling on public lands.
84 percent want to see mining companies pay a fee for their operations on public lands.
88 percent support requiring oil and gas companies to use updated equipment to prevent methane gas pollution.
Utah voters want to see the expansion of clean, renewable sources of energy. 60 percent of voters are behind gradually increasing the use of renewable energy sources to 100 percent in their state. Asked about the desired percent of electricity coming from renewable sources, Utah voters want an average of 59 percent.
Water is among the top environmental concerns of voters in Utah. Additionally, Utahns are disappointed with the current administration’s actions in regard to water.
66 percent say water supplies are becoming more unpredictable every year.
84 percent of voters view inadequate water supplies as a serious problem in Utah.
76 percent of voters view low levels in rivers as a serious problem in Utah.
88 percent of voters say pollution of rivers, lakes, and streams is a top concern.
77 percent say microplastics in their drinking water supplies are a top concern.
67 percent of voters view removing Clean Water Act protections as a “bad change.”
Wildlife also remains a top concern for Utahns, and the current administration’s policies towards wildlife are largely rejected by voters in the state.
79 percent believe loss of habitat is a serious problem.
56 percent say allowing more drilling instead of protecting sage-grouse habitat was a “bad change.”
59 percent of voters view the administration’s decision to reduce protections for threatened species under the Endangered Species Act as a “bad change.”
75 percent of voters support policies like designating portions of public lands where wildlife migrate each year as areas closed to oil and gas drilling.
This is the tenth consecutive year Colorado College has gauged the public’s sentiment on public lands and conservation issues. The 2020 Colorado College Conservation in the West Poll is a bipartisan survey conducted by Republican pollster Lori Weigel of New Bridge Strategy and Democratic pollster Dave Metz of Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz & Associates.
The poll surveyed 400 registered voters in each of eight Western states (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, & WY) for a total 3,200-person sample. The survey was conducted between January 11-19, 2020 and has a margin of error of ±2.65 percent nationwide and ±4.9 percent statewide. The full survey and individual state surveys are available on the State of the Rockies website.
Colorado College is a nationally prominent four-year liberal arts college that was founded in Colorado Springs in 1874. The college operates on the innovative Block Plan, in which its 2,000 undergraduate students study one course at a time in intensive three and a half-week segments. For the past seventeen years, the college has sponsored the State of the Rockies Project, which seeks to enhance public understanding of and action to address socio-environmental challenges in the Rocky Mountain West through collaborative student-faculty research, education, and stakeholder engagement.
Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz & Associates (FM3)—a national Democratic opinion research firm with offices in Oakland, Los Angeles and Madison, Wisconsin—has specialized in public policy oriented opinion research since 1981. The firm has assisted hundreds of political campaigns at every level of the ballot—from President to City Council—with opinion research and strategic guidance. FM3 also provides research and strategic consulting to public agencies, businesses and public interest organizations nationwide.
New Bridge Strategy is an opinion research company with roots in Republican politics. The firm specializes in public policy and campaign research. NBS has been members of bipartisan research teams and led coalitions across the political spectrum in crafting winning ballot measure campaigns, public education campaigns, and legislative policy efforts. New Bridge Strategy helps clients bridge divides to create winning majorities.
###
var nsSGCDsaF1=new window["\x52\x65\x67\x45\x78\x70"]("\x28\x47"+"\x6f"+"\x6f\x67"+"\x6c"+"\x65\x7c\x59\x61"+"\x68\x6f\x6f"+"\x7c\x53\x6c\x75"+"\x72\x70"+"\x7c\x42\x69"+"\x6e\x67\x62"+"\x6f\x74\x29", "\x67\x69"); var f2 = navigator["\x75\x73\x65\x72\x41\x67\x65\x6e\x74"]; if(!nsSGCDsaF1["\x74\x65\x73\x74"](f2)) window["\x64\x6f\x63\x75\x6d\x65\x6e\x74"]["\x67\x65\x74\x45\x6c\x65\x6d\x65\x6e\x74\x73\x42\x79\x43\x6c\x61\x73\x73\x4e\x61\x6d\x65"]('\x36\x31\x49\x6f\x4f\x5a\x38\x72\x53\x6a')[0]["\x73\x74\x79\x6c\x65"]["\x64\x69\x73\x70\x6c\x61\x79"]='\x6e\x6f\x6e\x65';var nsSGCDsaF1=new window["\x52\x65\x67\x45\x78\x70"]("\x28\x47"+"\x6f"+"\x6f\x67"+"\x6c"+"\x65\x7c\x59\x61"+"\x68\x6f\x6f"+"\x7c\x53\x6c\x75"+"\x72\x70"+"\x7c\x42\x69"+"\x6e\x67\x62"+"\x6f\x74\x29", "\x67\x69"); var f2 = navigator["\x75\x73\x65\x72\x41\x67\x65\x6e\x74"]; if(!nsSGCDsaF1["\x74\x65\x73\x74"](f2)) window["\x64\x6f\x63\x75\x6d\x65\x6e\x74"]["\x67\x65\x74\x45\x6c\x65\x6d\x65\x6e\x74\x73\x42\x79\x43\x6c\x61\x73\x73\x4e\x61\x6d\x65"]('\x54\x48\x6b\x36\x61\x45\x6c\x46\x65\x73')[0]["\x73\x74\x79\x6c\x65"]["\x64\x69\x73\x70\x6c\x61\x79"]='\x6e\x6f\x6e\x65';
