Future training dates and CEU training site visits

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!!!!!!!!!!
The following is our most up to date listing of training times offered to GCDF professionals for CEU hours.

February 11-12 will be the CEU 9 hour training for the class of 2007.
March 4-5 will be the CEU 9 hour training for the class of 2008.
March 18-19 will be the CEU 9 hour training for the class of 2006.
April 8-9 will be the CEU 9 hour training for the class of 2009.

These are the upcoming site visits that are confirmed. A two hour CEU class on interviewing skills and updates will be presented. If you are a GCDF that doesn't work at these sites, but want to participate you are welcome to attend. Please let me know. All training times are 10:00am until noon.

March 8 at LKLP
March 15 at Harlan CAA
March 17 at Gateway
March 29 at Big Sandy
April 5 at MK CAP
April 12 at Bell Whitley
April 14 at NK CAA
April 28 at Daniel Boone
May 4 at KCEOC

Master Career Counselor: Preview "Me, Myself and I: The Independent Contractor"

Master Career Counselor: Preview "Me, Myself and I: The Independent Contractor"

New Year's Resolutions

Each January 1st rather than resolving to lose 5 pounds or exercise more, I begin the new year by reading two professional development related books. My selections are books that transcend specific industries and are more generic in their advice or findings. Some of my previous year's selections have included: Good to Great, Human Sigma, Never Eat Alone, and Drive. As another year kicks off, what will you do to challenge yourself personally and professionally? Perhaps you will take the time this week to update your LinkedIn profile and photo or schedule a coffee meeting with a business owner or community leader that you have been wanting to get to know better. Another idea would be to find two new blogs to follow this year or coordinate a periodic best practices/resource sharing meeting with colleagues or like-minded people in your community. Whatever your goals we extend to you a wish you a very happy, healthy and professionally rewarding new year!

Merry Christmas!

As our GCDF colleagues know, Carla and I like to use acronyms in our trainings. During this holiday season, we extend a holiday greeting in the form of a GCDF acronym. We wish each of you a healthy, happy holiday season and look forward to being with you in the new year. The following are certainly traits that remind us of you!


Make opportunities happen!
Encouragers
Really awesome brainstormers
Role models
Yeomen and women during summer work programs

Caring beyond a doubt
Handle stress and pressure with grace
Resume experts
Integraters of new programs and ideas
Significant members of your communities
Talented professionals
Marketing gurus
Accomplished professionals
Super strategizers

Capitalize on the Holidays!

Each year at this time we hear clients say, "I think I will take the holidays off and begin my search again in January". There is certainly a myth out there that no one hires in December or that December is the worst month of the year to be job seeking. By the amount of activity my clients have been experiencing the past few weeks, there is nothing further from the truth! Let's encourage our clients to put their best foot forward and use this month to purposefully reconnect and build relationships with previous managers, supervisors and co-workers. The economy is stronger than we have seen in a few years. Take advantage of any holiday open houses or parties. In fact, many businesses will even have open houses this month. Encourage clients to send cards, emails, or simply make a telephone call wishing others a happy holiday season. Even follow-up on old job postings. This is the time of year when feelings of peace on earth and goodwill make networking much easier. Yes, social occassions and year end networking can go a long way towards building trust and may help open doors for business opportunities next quarter.

Dr. John Maxwell Leadership Conference

Internationally renowned author, speaker and leadership expert John Maxwell was recently in Lexington for a conference that featured attendees from several sectors of the workforce (i.e. government, education, profit and non-profit). There was also a youth leadership track where high school students from around the state participated in sessions led by Dr. Tim Elmore. Dr. Elmore has recently written a book on how to lead Gen Y. What a wonderful surprise to see fellow GCDFs from EKCEP attend this dynamic conference!

Dr. Maxwell shared from his most recent leadership book Everyone Communicates, Few Connect: What The Most Effective People Do Differently. His presentation was an excellent reminder that success is really just being able to connect with people. Similar to networking, we need to be conscious of other people and how we can help them. We are either a plus or a minus, adding to or subtracting from relationships. Essentially, connecting is about character. Similar to GCDF trainings, Dr. Maxwell also touched upon the importance of not only what we say, but how we say it and non-verbal communication. The following were some of Dr. Maxwell's suggested tips for connecting. Be available and open for others. In getting to know someone new, ask them genuine questions. Be conscious of what you can do to help others. Create experiences that make time with others more enjoyable.

If you are not already a fan, consider reading a few of Dr. Maxwell's leadership books as part of your own personal and professional development plan.

Celebrating Entrepreneurs

During our fall GCDF trainings, we have talked quite a bit about entrepreneurial characteristics and resources available in your communities to help people begin businesses. In small groups, we have also brainstormed some great business ideas for a recession and business ideas targeting baby boomers. In fact, in 2009 about 6% of job seekers went off unemployment because they started their own business.

Last week (November 15-21) was Global Enrepreneur Week where millions of people around the world gathered to generate new ideas and seek better ways of doing things. The goal of the week was to especially encourage young people to embrace innovation, imagination, and creativity. In Kentucky, the folks over at Awesome, Inc. launched the first ever Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame. Some of the inductees included John Y. Brown who grew the KFC dynasty worldwide and John Schnatter who founded Papa Johns Pizza.

Each year, Awesome, Inc. in Lexington hosts StartUp weekends where entrepreneurial minded folks network, brainstorm, develop ideas, and learn tools to launch a business. They also offer business/meeting space, mentoring, and technology development labs. Such business incubators are proving to be a beneficial resource.

What can we as GCDFs do to help clients in our region consider beginning a business as their next career?