“To improve the living and working conditions and opportunities for persons with severe disabilities.”
EEO/AA/M/F/D/V

 
The Director’s Corner
By Phil L. Taylor, Executive Director

Last month I talked about something that we all have control over when we come to the workplace.  The next step in your approach to make the very best possible world out of your job is to “make somebody’s day”.  On the way to work you have chosen your ATTITUDE.  You have to remember that it is yours and yours alone, so why not make it a positive one.  When you come in the door with that “right thinking” “positive” “I’m glad to be here and I don’t care who knows it” type of attitude, then you are truly ready to make someone’s day.

When you have that type of attitude and approach to your job, it only makes sense that you want to share it with others.  It feels right to let your light shine so to speak.  But, just coming in with a great attitude doesn’t get the job done.  I wished it was that simple, but we are more complex than that. We have to make another deliberate effort to help move your workplace to a higher level.

There are a lot of different ways to make someone’s day.  The easy ones most of us can easily identify are things such as birthday parties, special notes of thanks for doing something, special recognition, looking for ways to pick up someone’s spirits when they are down, special surprises, etc.  All of these activities, including welcoming activities for new employees, are all very helpful and go a long way toward our target. This is especially true if these techniques catch on with more people than yourself.

There are some less obvious ways to make someone’s day which are called engagement activities.  So, if you have your good game face on (sincere, good attitude) and the right mind set, then you are more likely to care about what others think and engage them in conversations.  Since this activity can really take a lot of yours and their time, try to practice this during breaks and lunch periods.  I think you will be surprised at the results.  During work you can take the time to get a new perspective on an idea or good feedback by asking another person what they think about a pertinent issue.  Don’t loose sight that some people are negative in nature and you may have to put a positive spin on something in order to keep yourself from being sucked into their negativism.  You may be pleasantly surprised with the results when you take time to listen to what someone else has to say.  Everybody feels that they have something to contribute and people who care enough to listen can help feed that need.
 
You can use this technique with your consumers with a lot of success.  We really need to take the time to make their day, also.  Often that special greeting or hand shake makes a big difference to them.  And, I don’t think  you should ever forget to get their opinion about what they want to do and how they feel about things that affect them.  Another area where this can be used is by our store personnel working with the public.  It is especially important to help our customers to have a better day.  Their techniques may have to be somewhat different, but I believe the basics will be the same.

Good luck – I know all of you are trying to have that “great” attitude – now try to make someone’s day.   And, as always I really appreciate all the things you do on behalf of our consumers.
 
 
 
 

 Happy               September
     Birthdays
 

Travis Honeycutt   1st
Paul Hedge    4th
Chris Pitts    7th
Margaret Meadows   11th
Jacklyn Martin   12th
Betty Vickers    16th
Latoya Gates    25th
Trisha O’Neal    28th
Marion Morgan   29th
Roger Hudson   30th
  NEWS FLASH...JUST ‘ROUND     THE CORNER THIS FALL...
 

BLYTHEVILLE THRIFT STORE
A thrift store will be opening at the Blytheville center at 2100 Texas Street sometime this fall.  Although, the exact date has not yet been determined, progress has been made in stocking and decorating this new store.
 

ON LINE AU TRAINING AND TESTING
Carrie Armstrong, HR Assistant, has taken on the task of converting and updating training materials including videos on our website.  This will provide easy access to reach your training requirements at your convenience.  Keep in mind, this can help Waiver implementors upgrade their positions!
 

Watch the newsletter and our website for further updates!!
 
 

Welcome to Abilities Unlimited

Tim Bowers   ACS Implementor
Boyce Cate   Van Driver - Paragould
Martha Harris   ACS Implementor
Felisha Henderson  ACS Implementor
Angela Hilliard  WAC/AD Supervisor
Jacklyn Martin  ACS Implementor
Rocke Reese   Van Driver-Blytheville
Clara Rush   ACS Implementor
Thomas Webb  TWC Implementor
Cindy White   ACS Implementor
Demarcus White  TWC Implementor
Kelei Williams  Flex - Paragould
 

AUGUST SERVICE AWARDS

Jennifer Binkley, Phyllis Bullard, Mary Starling, Detra Toney, ACS Implementors and Kelly Gilbert, Flex employee each received a certificate for one year of service to Abilities Unlimited!  Thanks to all of you for your dedication to our consumers!

NEW NEAFCU BENEFITS

Abilities Unlimited are now members of the Northeast Arkansas Federal Credit Union (NEAFCU) and if you are interested in any of their services - accounts, loans, etc., please call Jena Weld at (870) 532-5633 or visit their web site at www.neafcu.org.  We will be getting out more information on the new services made available to you by NEAFCU very soon.

UNITED WAY DONATION

As I mentioned last month, August was the start of our United Way campaign and if you have not received your United Way card, please contact DeeDee or Carrie.  As always, your continued support to the United Way is truly appreciated!