For Employees by Employees December 2011

ManateE-zine United Way Walk-A-Thon: A Huge SuccessAbout 80 walkers, 25 volunteers, and many four - legged friends joined in on the fun at the Walk-A-Thon. The event raised about $1,800.

First Watch provided the delicious refreshments, Almost Heaven Kayak Adventures was set up with info, and there were four United Way partner agencies; Big Brothers, Big Sisters, Early Learning Coalition, Family Partnership, and the Literacy Council of Manatee County.

The top sponsor was On A Shoestring / Suncoast Strid-ers. Without them the event wouldn’t have been possible. Other sponsors that didn’t set up during the event; Tropi-cana provided orange juice, Water Boy provided bottled water, Albertsons donated the apples, Bradenton Herald was our sponsor newspaper, SignZoo made the signs, Road ID provided bibs and 8 GC for wristbands, and Planet Fitness and Sandbar donated monetarily. Manatee Apparel was another sponsor who worked on the event shirts.

“I’d like to thank everyone who came out and joined us. It was an amazing morning filled with laughter, kindness, generosity, and let’s not forget exercise! It’s events like this that exemplify what an amaz-ing community we live in, and I’m thankful to everyone who participated,” said Tina Neri, the 5k event organizer from the Utitilies Department. “We really did become Stron-ger Together. Thanks to our Natural Resources department (Charlie Hunsicker, Melissa Nell, and Ranger Randy West in particular) all deserve thanks and recognition for their hospitality and being so incredible to work with.”

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Employee Health BenefitsTake the Pledge to swear off soda during the month of DecemberFlorey Miller, MS, RD, CDEManatee County employees: We ask you to take a look at your drinking habits. Are you consuming 93 packets of sugar each day?

It is hard to believe but, sugary drinks are the number one source of calories in the average American diet!

Excessive sugar consumption leads to seri-ous health issues and disease. The extra calories in sugar loaded drinks can lead to obesity, diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.

About one-half of the American popula-tion aged 2 and older consumes sugar drinks on any given day.

Why sign the pledge?• 73% of Manatee County employees/spouses/dependants are overweight or obese. • Sugar-loaded drinks have virtually no nutritional value and account for half of all added sugars in the American diet.• Research has demonstrated a direct relationship between consumption of soda and other sugary beverages and an in-crease in weight, which in turn promotes diabetes, heart disease, stroke and some types of cancer.• Sizes of sodas have exploded from the original Coca-Cola’s 6.5 ounces to the standard 20 ounces of today.• The empty calories in sugar-loaded drinks tend to displace nutrition-rich calories from foods (such as low-fat milk).• Health care costs continue to rise and are related to the rise in overweight and obe-sity

Sugary drinks include soda pop, energy drinks, sports drinks, and sweetened teas.

Now that so many of you are participating in the Y Weight campaign, it may be of interest to learn how much sugar and calories are in sugary beverages; and approximately how much weight could be lost with the subtraction of soda and other sugary beverages in your eating routine.

Video: Do You Drink 93 Sugar Packets a Day?

Sugar in Popular Sugar-Loaded drinks

Drinks Size Grams of sugar

Packs of sugar

Calories

Soda 20 oz 65 22 240

Sweet Tea

16 oz 46 15 180

Sports Drink

20 oz 35 12 125

Energy Drink

16 oz 54 19 200

Frozen Coffee

16 oz 53 18 260

1 less soda per day = about 2 lbs lost in one month, or 26 lbs lost in one year2 less sodas per day = about 4 lbs lost in one month, or 52 lbs lost in one year3 less sodas per day = about 6 lbs lost in one month, or 78 lbs lost in one year4 less sodas per day = about 8 lbs lost in one month, or 104 lbs lost in one year

Why waste calories on beverages which are gone in a few gulps?Choose water or zero-calorie drinks instead of sugar-loaded ones. Carry a water bottle with you and refill it throughout the day. Check out the amazing selection of bever-ages with zero calories and sugar: Republic of Tea, Fuze diet soda, Tava sparkling bever-age, Powerade, Crystal Light, LaCroix or other sparkling water, Glaceau Smartwater, Dasani plus, Hintwater, Clearly Canadian and of course diet Coke, diet 7up, diet Mountain Dew etc.

We Challenge you! to swear off sodas (and other sugar-loaded beverages) during the month of December.

Click here to sign the pledge: You can also choose to have your name added to the public pledge list which will be posted on the ManateeYour-Choice.com website, if you wish.

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Employee of the Year - 2011Kathy Peel, Public Safety

How did you find out you were named Employee of the Year? What was your reaction? I was surprised and elated when I found out I had been selected. There were so many candidates that were just as deserv-ing for this recognition. I was in the office of a colleague when I was notified. I was on a cell phone call with Chief Ron Koper when I had to answer the office phone. So I had one phone in each ear when I found out.

Do you have a mentor or someone you look up to at work? Who and why? I have had so many mentors over the last 22 years that have worked here. Some of them have gone on to retire. I would say that each individual I work with is a men-tor. Everyone has qualities that we learn from every day.

How does customer service play into your job? Customer Service plays a big role in our organization. We see people in distress and sometimes during their darkest mo-ments. Without positive customer service their experience could be magnified. A

calm polite voice, holding someone’s hand, or simply saying “I hope you feel better soon” can make all of the difference.

You were named Employee of the Month in January, 2011. Almost 12 months later you learned about becoming Employee of the Year. Describe your different reactions to being named EOM vs. EOY. I must say I was surprised with both. It is such an honor to be recognized by a group of peers in such a way. I was nominated by Capt. Larry Luh for Employee of the Month. This was such an honor as he has been a mentor to me throughout my career. It was rewarding to know that he felt the job I do was such that I should be nomi-nated. When selected as the Employee of the Year it was even more rewarding to know that a group of county employees felt I do a good job. I am both honored and proud to be selected as the Employee of the Year. Being selected as the EOY has helped me realize the things I do are making a difference.

Why do you love your job/working for Manatee Coun-ty Govern-ment? I love the feeling I get when I have made a difference for someone. Being a paramedic is a re-warding experience. Each day brings something new. Manatee County is the only place I have wanted to work. When I started with Manatee County I knew I would retire with a full career.

How do you measure success?Success can only be measured from within. It doesn’t matter how many material things you own or how much money you make. If you have desires, set goals and reach them, then you have been successful. My parents taught me to be dedicated to what I set out to do. My brother and sister in law have been mentors to me and have shown me if you work hard you can achieve anything. These family values have helped me be successful. I have dedicated my career and life to Manatee County.

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about some edible gifts. “Christmas Gifts of Good Taste” is a fun choice with every-thing from a cookie pizza to a snowman jar full of date-nut ice cream topping or “One-Hour Christmas Crafts” with easy ideas that don’t take a lot of time. “Artful Cards” by Katherine Aimone and “Creative Craft-ing with Recycled Greeting Cards” by Cath-erine Lawrence both have helpful ideas for making your own cards and using recycled cards to make gifts. “Simply Handmade: 365 gifts and decorations you can make” has some wonderful ideas for easy gift ideas that will brighten any holiday.

Don’t forget holiday music to set the ambiance for your special holiday plans. The Library has a selection of CD’s with everything from instrumental to sing along va- ri-eties. Try John Tesh’s “A Romantic Christmas,” or Tchaikovshy’s “The Nutcracker.” Music for Hanukkah and Kwanzaa are available as well. “The Joy of Chanukah” by the Pacific Pops Orchestra or “Shine Little Candles: Chanukah Songs for Children” are just some of the selections available. For Kwan-zaa, try “Kwanzaa Party!” Holiday music is located in the R section using the catalog-ing code applied to CDs.

Movies provide another way for families to enjoy the holidays together. In our house it is traditional to always watch “The Miracle on 34th Street” on Thanksgiving to get us in the mood for the season. “Barney’s Christmas Star” and “Elmo’s World” both have ecumenical themes from a variety of cultures. “Kwanzaa” uses traditional West African drums, spirited dances, colorful candles and traditional clothes to intro-duce young viewers to the African-Ameri-can celebration of Kwanzaa.

Don’t forget reading aloud as a family. There are great children’s books to share. I always read “The Night Before Christmas” by Clement Moore.

The Library NookGeek the Library

Many of you know the Library has a campaign going called Geek the Library. It is to let people know that whatever

they feel passionate about or have an interest in that the library is here

with resources to support that interest.

If you geek Christmas, Ha-nukkah, or Kwanzaa, the Library has everything you need to plan a great holiday. Whether its handmade gifts, decorations, recipes, music,

movies, or stories the Library has it all.

If you are looking for ways to economize and make easy gifts how

What are you most proud of, career-wise?I have had many rewarding moments throughout my career. I would have to say being recognized by a group of peers has been most rewarding. Nothing is more satisfying than knowing your peers recog-nize the hard work you do and appreciate it.

How do you handle stress or pressure?Being a paramedic can be very stressful.

Fortunately, I have always had a calm-ing personality. When I find my stress level is increasing, I like to spend time with family and friends,

running, biking and skiing. You have to take time out to relieve stress, rest and

relax.

What motivates you?Making a difference motivates me. I enjoy seeing other people succeed so I will do what I can to help them make that happen. Teaching, mentoring, random acts of kindness or doing the right thing are just a few of the things that can make a differ-ence.

Any word of wisdom to pass along to other employees? Take one day at a time. Don’t rush through life because you will miss something along the way. Do the right thing, make a differ-ence and make a commitment to succeed.

For more informa-tion on Manatee County’s librar-

ies visit them on the web or “like”

them on face-book!

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HR CornerTemperamentBY HUMANCAPITALADVISER.COMWe talk a lot about temperament in the workplace when we want to describe how employees interact, the reaction we receive when we make an assignment, or what leads to conflict. Just like other more physical traits, temperament is fixed in each of us and stays fairly consistent over time.

The idea that we can create a typology to describe tempera-ment goes back to the time of Ezekiel or approxi-mately 590 BC. By draw-ing on the properties of animals, Ezekiel described the temperament of people as being like a lion, ox, man, or eagle. Before 250 BC when scholars of the day assigned elements to people (earth, wind, fire, ether, and water), seasons and signs of the zodiac were proxies for our differences in person-alities. Hippocrates followed in 400 BC, and as recently as 1998 Hartman produced his Personality Profile. Plato, Aristotle, Galen, Paracelsus, and others built on these early works utilizing a four or five part typology. The basic five part typology which included introverted/task-oriented, extroverted/task-oriented, extroverted/relationship-oriented, ambiverted, and introverted/relationship oriented serves as the basis for most of the later work for more than 2,000 years.

When discussing personalities and tem-perament, the person that most of us are familiar with is Carl Jung. Carl Jung drew his inspiration from the early Greek schol-ars and his 1921 book, Personality Types is the basis for much of the work that has followed. Most of us have participated in a Myers Briggs or MBTI (Myers Briggs Type Indicator) session where we have found out which of the four letter combination types we are most like. Isabel Briggs Myers worked with her mother Katharine Briggs to develop Carl Jung’s theories into useful tools for under-standing who people really are, what moti-vates people, how to develop people, how best to form teams, and why people interact like they do. A short test is avail-able at:http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes1.htm.

There are many illustrated versions and some versions that have been retold like “The Cajun Night Before Christmas” by Trosclair where alligators not reindeer pull Santa’s sleigh. Another favorite is “The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey” by Wojciechowski. Steven Kroll ‘s “The Ha-nukkah Mice” or Harriet Ziefert’s “Hanuk-kah Haiku” are some read aloud choices for Hanukkah. “Li’l Rabbits Kwanzaa” by Donna Washington and “Habari Gani? = What’s the News? A Kwanzaa Story” by Sundaira Morninghouse are some ideas for Kwanzaa.

Whatever holiday you are celebrating the Manatee County Library System has some great resources to brighten your holidays. Come in and check us out!

Calendar of EventsDecember 2011

To view the events happening in your preserves, click here.

To view Parks & Recreation programs and activities. click here.

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minimizing the impact on those working in the same area.

More recently, Taylor Hartman used colors to describe person-

alities. His typology includes: Red (the power

wielders), blue (the do-gooders), white (the peacekeep-

ers), and yellow (the fun lovers). The test is

located athttp://www.colorcode.com/. He hypothesizes that

the current population fall into the categories as follows:

reds (25 percent); blues (35 percent); whites (20 percent); and

yellows (20 percent).

As you consider your workforce, there are a variety of systems that you can use. Most will provide you with considerable insight into your workplace. If we tie all the di-verse tools together, there are six impor-tant areas to consider:

• Emotional Maturity – understanding the world through an adult frame of reference instead of a child’s. A mature person accepts criticism, avoids self-pity, controls outbursts, responds to crisis with logic and analysis, and listens to the ideas of others.

• Conscientiousness – possessing the discipline, thoroughness, organizational skills, and desire for achievement to make one successful.

• Agreeableness –ex-hibiting a tendency to be pleasant and ac-commodating in social interactions by demonstrating empa-thy, friendliness, generosity, and help-fulness.

• Sociability – possessing the desire to live and work around others in a group or the desire to have social interaction.

• Sensing – live in reality as well as per-ceive and understand the feelings of others they interact with in the workplace.

• Negative Emotions – recognize negative emotions and can deal with them in a constructive and expeditious manner while

Power Speakers of MCGTalk Smart at the Holiday Of-fice Party

Stay clear of conversation faux pas that can derail your career.By Don GaborAs a Toastmaster, you know that all speaking is public speaking – whether you are giving a Table Topics presentation at your local club or making small talk with colleagues and clients at the holiday office party. Of course, if an “ah” or “um” slips into one of your speeches, prob-ably no one (except perhaps another Toast-master) will ever know.

However, make one of the following conversa-tion faux pas at the holiday office party and your career and professional image could be headed for trouble. Here are the most com-mon career-crunching mistakes:

1. Making inappropriate comments – even in jest

Nothing can ruin a budding or even estab-lished career faster than, “letting your hair down,” in a way that keeps your colleagues whispering, “Can you believe what he said?” Using sexual innuendo or telling off-color jokes at the holiday work party is a sure-fire way to attract attention, but not the kind that will boost your career. This blunder can quickly send your prospects for advancement into a downward spiral. Never forget that the office party is a business – not social – situa-tion, where most of the rules of business etiquette apply.

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Toastmasters Events

All events and meetings are on

Fridays from 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

December 19Place: Public Work s

December 30Place: Osprey Room

Learn about Toastmasters by

visiting us on the i-Net!

2. Not shaking hands when the opportunity presents itself

If it is a part of your culture to shake hands when introducing yourself or greeting people you know, do you hesitate to extend your hand when you meet a mem-

ber of the opposite sex? You might be surprised, but plenty of people are

confused about this critical part of introduc-tions at office gatherings. Blame it on decades-old etiquette that instructed a gentleman to wait for a lady to extend her hand first, but that is as passé as a lady dropping a hankie to start a conversation with a handsome pass-erby! Today, not offering to shake hands with a member of the opposite sex will peg a man as sexist and a woman as unsure of herself. Therefore, at office celebrations and every-where else, for that matter – excluding for religious, cultural or physical reasons – both men and women should take the initiative to shake hands with everyone they meet.

3. Talking only with your officemates

Chatting for a few minutes at seasonal office gatherings with your work buddies is all part of the fun, but if you stay ensconced in your closed circle of friends for too long, new co-workers, prospects or others will quickly cast you and your colleagues as cliquish, disinterested and not open to outsiders. Staying in one place too long, whether you are talking to someone or nibbling on the appetiz-ers, will also give the impression that you’re shy, self- conscious or lacking confidence. Instead, chat with your buddies for a few minutes and then move to different areas of the room to introduce yourself to others you want to get to know better.

4. Asking more than three closed-ended questions in a row

“Do you work in our office?”, “How long have you worked here?” or “Who is your supervi-sor?” Yikes! You’re at a holiday office party – not a job interview or an interrogation. Asking three or more closed-ended questions in a row will certainly stifle conversation and make others feel uncomfortable. Instead, show attentiveness and a desire to find com-mon ground by asking open-ended questions that encourage others to elaborate and reveal free information. Begin questions with “Why...” or “What do you think about...” to accomplish this. Then based on what you hear

that interests you, respond with follow-up questions and information of your own.

“The holiday office party is a great place to make small talk, establish rapport and build better relationships with your colleagues, acquaintances and clients.”

5. Talking too much or too little about yourself

“So, enough about my job! Let me show you a picture of my kids (cats, car, etc.)!” Sure, people love to talk about themselves, their pets, kids and grandchildren, but if you are the one doing all the talking at the office party, you could quickly become a bore to the other guests. On the other hand, if you are too tight-lipped, then people may see you as secretive, defensive or lacking interest and enthusiasm. The remedy is to exchange information about various light subjects at about the same rate so that you both know what the other enjoys and likes to talk about. Offer some information and then allow the other person enough time to fully respond with information of their own.

6. Complaining or gossiping about colleagues or clients

You might be tempted and it may even be well-deserved, but never get involved in a gripe session about a colleague or client while attending a holiday office party. As obvious as this faux pas is, people seem to do it all the time, especial-ly after a few drinks. Even if you’re not the one making the crass remarks, if word gets back to the “offending person” you will still pay the price long after the party is over. If possible, politely excuse yourself from the conversation as quickly as you can. How-ever, if you find yourself stuck with this group, then take the initiative and bring up some-thing that moves the discussion to a more positive topic.

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7. Talking about politics or controversial subjects

It never fails – there always seems to be at least one person at the office party who likes to

snag colleagues into heavy political “discussions” or offer long-winded lectures about his or her pet social issues. The trap often begins with the seemingly

innocent words, “Don’t you think that...?” or “In my humble opinion....” However,

if you rebut with even a few words you’ll be in for an earful – and not the kind of conversation that most people at parties enjoy. Furthermore, discussing contro-versial topics in this situation often polarizes people who otherwise get along. The best thing to do when someone brings up a politi-cal or controversial subject is say, “I never discuss such topics at parties.” Then it’s up to you to change the discussion to a less volatile subject.

The holiday office party is a great place to make small talk, establish rapport and build better relationships with your colleagues, acquaintances and clients. As long as you focus on upbeat subjects that lead to sharing common professional and personal interests, goals and experiences, you’ll have plenty to talk about while boosting your career and honing your communication skills!

You can learn more tips like these, by joining the Power Speakers of MCG.

Kudos CornerTo view the kudos information, click on the link which will take you to the PDF file on the iNet.

November 2011County AdministratorKim Stroud, Health Benefits ManagerElicia Main, Heath Benefits TechnicianMelody Vitt, Health Benefits SupervisorHealth Benefits Staff

Building & Development ServicesSally Cook, Construction Review Specialist Sandy Tudor, Floodplain InvestigatorEric Angersoll, Building SupervisorChris Gray, Senior Building Trade WorkerTravas Green, Senior Building Trade WorkerCasey Turner, Building Trade Worker

Financial ManagementRob Cuthbert, Purchasing Division Manager

Property ManagementDavid Thompson, Building Maintenance Division ManagerTim Funk, Building Supervisor

Public SafetyArt Weaver, Animal Care SpecialistCody Sullivan, Beach LifeguardMarshall Greene, Beach Lifeguard Trainee

Public WorksMatt Parks, Maintenance Tech IIDaryl Wolfe, Maintenance Tech IIIRoger Mayfield, Maintenance Tech IIIEarl Wingate, Maintenance Tech IIISia Mollanazar, Deputy Director Engineering ServicesDarren Nolan, Maintenance Tech IILana Gostkowski, Field Operations ChiefHenry Albritton, Maintenance Tech IIIChris Babauta, Maintenance Tech IIErin Bonds, Maintenance Tech TraineeBertzel Cooper, Maintenance Tech IRamon Diaz, Maintenance Tech TraineeJoseph Farina, Maintenance Tech TraineeBlaine Fleming, Maintenance Tech TraineeSteven Gago, Maintenance Tech ILouis Goff, Maintenance Tech IIJoshua Johnson, Maintenance Tech IDarrell McDonald, Maintenance Tech IILinda Pendergrass, Maintenance Tech IJack Simpson, Maintenance Tech IDouglas Swanson, Maintenance Tech TraineeLee Coarsey, Maintenance Tech TraineeDale Conn, Maintenance Tech IDaniel Griffin, Maintenance Tech II

Utilities DepartmentTina Neri, Engineering Technician

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Public Works Cook Off LuncheonTo read about the winners, visit the iNet posting.

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The Final WordRocky Bluff Library ImprovementRocky Bluff Library reopened to the public a month ago to worthy accolades from the public and the County Commission. The grand opening for the library was a culmination of many months of hard work from nearly every department of this County Government.

The property – an old Roaring 20s pizzeria – and just over four acres were offered for to the County two years ago for $3.9 million. Later the property went into foreclosure, and the County Commission purchasing the building and nearly 10 acres for $700,000. It will be purchased over 20 years with the money the County was spending to lease the former loca-tion. The new building more than doubles the size of Rocky Bluff’s former location across the street.

Neighborhood Services Director Cheri Coryea, Library Services Manager Ava Ehde and Rocky Bluff Branch Manager Brenda Booth all did a commendable job in transferring the library from its old cramped quarters into the new building. The Prop-erty Management Department was also the driving force behind a quick and thrifty but thorough renovation job.

In addition to their great efforts, the following groups should be recognized:

The Building Department expedited construction plans review, conducted timely inspections and quickly issued the Certificate of Occupancy. The Fire Department also assisted by making them-selves available throughout the project and were on site within 30 minutes of being contacted by the Project Manager for their Final Inspection.

The Offender Work Program trimmed trees, cleared exotic plants, removed old fences and cleaned up the grounds while interior renova-tions were going on.

The Purchasing Division reacted quickly to our vendor requisitions and quickly issued Purchase Orders which helped to maintain the intense pace of the project required to meet our goal for the Grand Opening date.

The Public Works Stormwater Division assisted by evaluating the stormwater ponds and structures throughout the site. They then con-structed and installed a baffle/skimmer device that had been stolen while the facility was vacant.

Community Services staff was instrumental in the development of the floor plans and the selection of materials and colors throughout the library. They were decisive, cooperative and knowledgeable. They stayed in tune with the project scope and were mindful of the budget. They also packed books, helped with the move, arranged furniture and re-placed the books.

This cross-departmental effort resulted in a significant cost savings to the County and the timely completion of a facility that will be used by library patrons for many years. Rocky Bluff Library was a job well done and I encourage you to stop in to see the new facility if you haven’t already.