Trick or Tweet!

I hope you have a great Halloween weekend. Save the peanut butter cups and tootsie rolls for me!

Since I am too old to trick I will focus on the tweet. Over the last few months I've experimented with social media such as Twitter to spread the message of the Open Door. My sense is that social media is another tool in an organization's toolbox to connect with people.

For an organization to be successful it must be connected. Twitter and Facebook complement face-to-face interactions and help us get connected to individuals and groups in our community. The more tangled the web of connections the better. Our paths keep crossing others who are interested in making our community a better place to live.

I've worked with other organizations that are less connected. (virtually and face-to-face) They often struggle because nobody knows they exist.

Over the next few days I probably won't knock at your door asking for candy, but I might see you at a meeting or send you a tweet.

We'd like to thank the Academy...

Last night was an exciting night for the Camrose Open Door Association. We were awarded the Community Spirit Award at the Chamber of Commerce Small Business Awards dinner. It was great to be nominated with four other local businesses that do a lot for our community. All of the nominees work to make this community a better place to be and are worthy of recognition. It felt strange being in the same category as Creative Bedrooms and Scotiabank who have both been so good to us.

Recognition from the business community is very rewarding as it highlights that business and social organizations can work together to make a difference. I think Camrose has grown a lot in its understanding of youth issues in our community.

The award is a recognition of the great work done by our staff, board members, volunteers and the youth that we work with. A big thankyou to all of you.

I'd like to thank my great grandparents for emigrating to Canada. Without you this wouldn't have been possible. I'd like to thank my cousin Charlie...

Stop being a not for profit

Sitting at the Mayoral Candidates Forum this week at the Camrose Chamber of Commerce I was struck by how most of the candidates seemed to have difficulty seeing that social investment has short and long term impact in our community.

Part of the problem is that the social sector has spent too long highlighting what we are not. The most common term for our sector is 'not for profit.' Is our mission as an organization to not make money? Of course not. Our focus is to help youth be successful.

It is time for organizations like the Camrose Open Door Association to stop defining ourselves by what we are not and start defining ourselves by what we are for. The Open Door is for impact.

Maybe if we all do a better job at defining ourselves as 'for impact', people will better understand that investing for impact makes good sense whether it is through a business or through an organization.

Acknowledge a Great Colleague

I am lucky in that I enjoy coming to work almost everyday. It gives me a lot of energy to see people come in and get the help they need from our organization and to see staff have fun at work. It is very stressful, on the other hand, when someone in the team is bringing other people down.

This week at our staff meeting we talked about characteristics of a great colleague. We want to celebrate the contributions of staff in our organization who provide exemplary client service and help create a great environment in the office. I decided to offer a $100 bonus for the person voted by his/her peers as the person who best exemplifies the characteristics described above.

Without naming the winner at this point, here are some of the comments made on the nomination forms:

• always there to help when needed and never complains about giving a helping hand
• reliable and accountable for his/her actions
• sense of humour
• great relationship with clients
• well deserving of acknowledgement of a job well done
• goes the extra mile (1.6 km)
• light hearted and funny
• puts 100% into everything he/she does

People make a difference. Someone told me that most people will forget what you say or do but they will never forget how you make them feel. Congratulations on a job well done.

What makes a great coworker in your workplace?