Leadership

One of the underlying core values that is taught during our 16 week training is leadership. We do this through teaching strong customer service skills. "How can I help you," is a question leaders should be continuously asking their customers or clients. Well I like to call it customer service leaders. For too long people who work in the customer service arena have been walked on by rude and disrespectful customers. Our youth know this and can confirm this. So when you ask a teen what they would like to have as a career you will rarely hear, I want to work as a cashier at a grocery store. Many want to be in a way those rude and disrespectful customers. The person who is too busy to get off of their cell phone to place an order so does both in tandem. This is such poor manners. Everyone no matter their position deserves to be acknowledge, and hence our youth need to be taught that it is not necessarily a bad thing to work at a fast food joint. We need to feel valued as humans everyone from the migrant farmer to the CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Unfortunately our society has lost that respect that we have for our fellow workers.

Through out customer service teachings I teach the importance of listening. Jim Cathcart once said, "Listening is wanting to hear." We ask because we want to hear what the other person has to say and we mean it when we say, "Have a great day." We are so fortunate because our Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream shop is located right by a the University of Minnesota Children's Hospital. Everyday I get to meet courageous parents and their children who are fighting day in and day out for their lives. They bring their families in for a treat, but what they do not realize that they are the ones treating us with their stories of their struggles and successes and failures. The stories I hear will be ingrained in me for the rest of my life, all through scooping ice cream, who would have thought.

"Leadership is action not position." Donald H McGannon

Time has Passed

Our deadline for our next session was Sept. 4th. We received over a hundred applications. For this session we changed our application criteria. All applicants must have their ID and Social Security card in so we can make copies by the 4th as well. Also we are now only accepting applications from youth that live in the Minneapolis city limits and all applicants must be between the ages of 16-19, we can accept applications from youth who are 15, but will be 16 before we enter in store training. Orientation will be held on 2 days Tuesday Sept. 15th at 5:30 and Thursday Sept. 17th at 5:30. Training will begin Sept. 22nd at 5pm.

Time Flies...

...When you are busy. So much has been going on around here at Community Action of Minneapolis and Ben & Jerry's you must accept my apologies for my time spent away from our blog.

We had a fabulous graduation for our youth. 38 teens ages 16-19 graduated on August 11th, 2009. We had an outpouring of support for our youth with over 100 family and friends supporting their loved one. I was so touched to see families so supportive. We all know the importance of having that strong inner circle of support. We had a Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Cake and punch for dessert.

Starting the next day our youth began in store training. Sessions were split up into 3 groups. Shift 1 was from 11-1, shift 2 was from 3-5, and shift 3 was from 5:30-7:30. There were approximately 4 youth in each shift.

Session 1 consisted of a tour of the store, presentation of the uniform, as well as policies and procedures of Ben & Jerry's. We also reviewed all of the flavors and their location with in the dip cases.

During session 2, participants were able to watch how to properly scoop and weigh the different serving sizes. They also got to see demonstrations of preparing smoothies, milk shakes, waffle cones and bowls, cookies, and brownies.

Session 3 was all about application. Participants began practicing their scooping. Each participant was also able to make their own milkshake and smoothie (one of the many perks of working for a great company). They also got to make waffle mix and make waffle bowls and cones.

Action was the theme for session 4. This was an opportunity for us to see which participant has the drive and takes initiative to do things when not asked. Starting with scooping practice, all the way to making sure that the store is clean and that everything is stocked and organized. Also on this day the youth were able to make their own type of sundae and practiced making banana splits as well as packing pints and quarts.

Session 5 was all about review. This was an opportunity to make sure everyone was caught up and retaining the information. As each youth who chooses to continue on in the program and try to get hired will have to take a scooper's test which will cover everything that they have learned through their 8 sessions. We also discussed how to receive phone calls and did role playing involving different scenarios that they may incur while taking customers phone calls. We also practiced taking cake orders.

On session 6 we began the intro into cakes. We went over how to pack a cake and what each should weigh. Also we went over the fillings and frosting.

Session 7 was dedicated to frosting and decorating cakes. We also worked on dipped cones and bananas.

Our final session, session 8 was a review for the scooper's exam. We conducted flavor quizzes and taste tests. We went over what to do when all else is done. And we discussed more of the business side of things such as the cost of products and the repercussions of waste. We discussed the importance of working in a team. Also we talked about our expansion of the catering and how we conduct our catering business.

New Additional Website.

I have created a new website as a resource for those who are looking for employment. This site will be updated regularly with helpful information about upcoming Teen Job Fairs, as well as current job openings.

http://tcteg.blogspot.com/

Community Action of Minneapolis on MPR

Listen to this great report about Community Action of Minneapolis's Weatherization program on MPR.

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/special/columns/news_cut/

"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."

Most of us have heard this quote by Franklin D. Roosevelt probably many times, but what does it really mean? Millions of people have fears and phobias. Many people are afraid of heights or spiders, why do individuals fear what they fear? Maybe a past event or experience has triggered this fear or others may just be hard wired to fear certain things. Then on the complete opposite spectrum, you have the individuals who completely lack any fear and are considered fearless. These are the individuals who sky dive or own deadly spiders for their own enjoyment. How can people be so different? As the case with most things we humans are all different, such as the case for public speaking. It has been determined that people are more afraid of public speaking than dying.

Public speaking is something that we talk about during the training sessions, to get the participants used to being in front of others as well as preparing them for upcoming interviews. Now more then ever, employers are conducting group interviews because of the large amount of applicants that are applying. Usually during these interviews, you are given 2-3 minutes to sell yourself. So with proper public speaking skills and preparation, our participants should feel confident and prepared to let the interviewer know why they are the best person for the job. Participants are also taught skills on how to calm their nerves as well as how to regroup after a stumble.

We also go over filler words. Filler words are words such as: like, um, y'know, basically, uh, er... We tend to fall back on these words when we get nervous or are unprepared. We watch examples of great speakers and talk about what makes them great. We also discuss not so good public speakers and discuss what they are lacking. Overall becoming a confident public speaker will only help you progress in life. So many of the greatest historical events have been led by great public speakers.

We fall back on what we have learned in past sessions, about body language and eye contact, facial expressions, and talking with our hands. How do we project who we are through our words and actions, that is the most important point.

Setting Goals

Too many of us dream about where we want to go, but we do not have the map to get there. What is the map? In essence, the written word. What is the difference between a dream and a goal? A dream is the ideas and wishes we think of in our heads, where as a goal is something written down and put into action. Goals need to be complete and focused, much like a road map.

Here a 7 steps to help you write your goals.

1. Make sure the goal you are working for is something you really want, not just something that sounds good.

2. Make sure none of your goals contradict any of your other goals.

3. Develop goals for the 6 areas of life: Family and home, spiritual and ethical, social and cultural, financial and career, physical and health, mental and educational.

4. Write your goal in the positive instead of the negative.

5. Write your goal out in full detail.

6. Make sure your goal is high enough.

7. Write down your goals. Maybe have a special journal just for your goals.

Conflict

Dealing with conflict.

Human diversity makes tolerance more than a virtue; it makes it a requirement for survival.
-Rene Dubos

No matter how much we try to avoid it, we, at many times in our life, will have to deal with conflict. Maybe it is with our siblings or parents or teachers. Or our friends, co-workers, spouses. Conflict is inevitable, because everyone is different. Everyone has different views and opinions that make them unique. It is when the uniqueness clash is when conflict is created. Not all conflict is bad, some conflict is healthy. Imagine if people never challenged the system or status quo, what a lame society we would live in. The type of conflict all depends on how the situation is handled. Once someone lays a hand on someone else in anger or hate, conflict can escalate to war. Unfortunately violence is the ugly side of conflict, and sometimes the most powerful, smartest, strongest people cannot solve the conflict without violence.

When dealing with conflict in the workplace though, most issues can be handled civilly if people know how to properly handle the situation. Here are some steps to resolving conflict:
Evaluate the situation: check your moos, LISTEN, do not interrupt.
Acknowledge the situation: make sure you are on the same page, try to understand the other persons view, use I statements, LISTEN.
Check your attitude: do not pre-judge, remain calm, breath, LISTEN, keep your ego in check, be flexible.
Take Action: monitor language, be aware of body language, eye contact, LISTEN, make sure you are in an appropriate place to discuss the situation, be honest.
Reach a shared understanding: make sure each person's concerns have been communicated, LISTEN.

Managing Stress

Here are some tips to help manage your stress.

Be organized and plan ahead.

Surround yourself with positive people who will support you through the good and the bad.

Love yourself and use turn around thinking.

Reward yourself for your hard work by doing something that you enjoy doing.

Exercise.

Meditate.

Sleep 7-8 hours a night.

Eat right.

Enjoy life.

Be Happy!!!

S...T...R...E...S...S...

Stress

Stress, we all do it and we all deal with it in different ways. Both men and women, young and old all deal with stress. There are 2 different types of stress, acute and chronic. Acute stress is a reaction to an immediate threat commonly known as the "fight or flight" response. Some examples of acute stress are loud unexpected noise, a large crowd, being isolated, being hungry, in immediate danger, and being put in a new situation. In most cases once the threat has passed so will the stress.

The second type of stress is called chronic stress. These are types of stresses that are on a ongoing basis. Some examples may be highly pressured work environment, relationship problems, loneliness, and financial worries.

Prolonged stress can take a toll on a persons' body. Some symptoms maybe memory lapses, concentration issues, breathing problems, slowing down of the immune system, dryness of the mouth, and stoppage of the digestive system are a few examples.

Yummy Flavors!!!

Each Thursday the participants in our program get to sample 3 wonderful flavors of Ben & Jerry's ice cream. We do this not only as a treat, but also the kids are quizzed on what is in each flavor as well as it gives them the opportunity to get accustomed to the flavors and textures. 100 times a day, when customers come into our scoop shop, they ask what is in the flavors. For instance, what is in New York Super Fudge Chunk? Give up? Chocolate ice cream with white and dark fudge chunks, pecans, walnuts, and fudge covered almonds. Are you hungry yet? It is very important for each of our scooper's to know the flavors and what they are made up of as it is part of giving great customer service. Plus, with the increase of food allergies, scooper's must make sure that if someone cannot have nuts, that they do not give some one any flavor that contains nuts.

Relaxtion techniques

Throughout the 12 weeks we will practice many types of relaxation techniques that will calm our minds and allow us to cope with life's stresses.

*www.yogajournal.com

As we spoke before, we use different yoga exercises to strengthen our core muscles thus allowing us to have proper posture. We also will us different breathing and meditation techniques that will help us to react properly to different scenarios and situations.

The faces of great customer service

How to deal with the difficult customer.

Do not let the unhappy person make you upset, angry, or frustrated. Remain calm, and take deep breaths and use self talk to calm yourself. Let the customer vent, offer to help, get to the root of the problem. If you can offer a solution, sometimes it may be better to introduce your manager or supervisor to the situation as somethings may be out of your hands.

Remember, "No one can drive us crazy unless we give them the keys."-Doug Horton

The 10 Most Important Phrases of Customer Service

The 10 most important words:
"I apologize for our mistake. Let me make it right."

The 9 most important words:
"Thank you for your business. Please come back again."

The 8 most important words:
"I'm not sure, but I will find out."

The 7 most important words:
"What else can I do for you?"

The 6 most important words:
"What is most convenient for you?"

The 5 most important words:
"How may I serve you?"

The 4 most important words:
"How did we do?"

The 3 most important words:
"Glad you're here!"

The 2 most important words:
"Thank you."

The MOST important word:
"Yes."

* Customer Love by Mac Anderson

Customer Service

Customer service is not a department...it's an attitude.

Did you know that 65% of customers who take their business elsewhere do so because of poor customer service and only 30% leave because they find better or cheaper products?

It is so so important for people working in the service industry, whether working as a sales person or a ice cream scooper, you must learn to be a yes person. Always smile at your customers ask how they are doing and what you can help them with, Remember you never know when you might make someones day.

We are going to be on TV!!!

A special about Community Action of Minneapolis will be on Comcast Channel 6 on July 4th and July 11th at 9:30am.

Here is a preview:
http://www.blackmusicamerica.com/ummg/community_action.htm

Session 6

During the training, I try to teach in a way that can accommodate all different types of learning styles. I hand out many informational packets, that allows those who are more apt to learn more from reading. I also do videos, PowerPoint, as well as have the youth do skits to accommodate those that may be visual learners. I also believe in having fun. I think if we can make a lesson fun, where they do not even realize they are learning, then we have succeeded at both having fun and learning. During session 6, I was able to combine learning and fun through my Who wants to be a Millionaire PowerPoint game. The youth were divided up into 4 groups. Each was given a problem solving question. The first team that answered the question right got to play the millionaire game. The questions that the groups had to answer were topics that were discussed in previous sessions. All of the groups did really well and 2 did become millionaires.

Also during this session we started talking about customer service. What is customer service? Why is good customer service important? What are the basics of great customer service?? Give up? Greet the customer within 7 seconds of entering the business. Take and serve their orders. Take their money and count back the change. Finally, send them on their way. We worked on words that you should not say such as I don't know, we can't do that, and no. Ben & Jerry's really pride themselves on their reputation of giving their customers the best customer service. Most of us have worked in some sort of service job at one time or another as will our youth, so these are skills that will stick with them throughout their careers.

Handshake

Session 5 (cont.)

Also during session 5 we worked on the importance of a good handshake. We practiced what makes a good handshake and how to avoid the bad ones. You always shake hands with your right hand and you use your thumb as a stopper as to not shake to far up the arm. An example of a bad handshake would be, I am sure all of can remember a time when we shook someones hand and their palms were all sweaty, this is very unpleasant. So if you tend to have sweaty palms you should always carry tissues with you, and right before you are going to shake someones hand, wipe your hand off. This is just one example of the many different kind of handshakes. I must say all of our youth have great handshakes, very firm, not too hard not too soft. I also showed them this short clip about how different cultures are different in their greeting styles.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDhXD25fmMo

Working from the inside out

Session 5

Phew!!! We made through our portion of first impressions. People do not realize how important a good first impression is. We wrapped up our section on self confidence and how it can effect someones body language and attitude. We also worked on eye contact and the importance of acknowledging someone when they are speaking, but not to stare them down. Also we touched on facial expressions, and how our attitude is expressed by the look one has on their face. We also spoke about good posture and how one should stand and sit. I handed out a sheet full of yoga exercises that can help strengthen the core muscles thus improving our posture. Hand gestures was also a subject we touched on. Did you know that showing your palms while you speak means you are being honest? Many public speakers use their hands to talk, most times it is so built into them that they do not even realize they are doing it. We spoke about not pointing when making a point.

All of these topics that we have discussed go along with our holistic education. We are working from the inside out. Building confidence is something that is very important if we ever want to be successful. Our self worth effects everything about us. Everything from our body language to our posture is effected by our self esteem. So by working on these topics hopefully the youth will have a better understanding on why working on the inside is just as important as working on the outside.

Session 4

For session 4 we put in to practice what we had been working on in the previous sessions. The youth were divided into 5 different groups. They each chose a "model" and the rest were the "designers". They had 30 minutes to design and create a outfit that would be appropriate for an interview. The catch??? The outfits were made out of paper and other craft materials. We set up a "catwalk" and each model walked the "runway" to show off their duds. The designers also joined the model for a 2nd walk down the runway. Through this experience the youth were able to work in a team and work together to come up with the design and the construction. I will be placing photos up soon along with the winning group picture.

We also worked on turn around thinking. Basically turnaround thinking is taking a negative statement or feeling and turning it in to something positive. Maybe you are having a bad day and you say to yourself," Self, I am such a failure, I keep messing up and this day is just going so bad." For most of us, things always seem to go wrong at once, but if we get down on ourselves things will just continue to get worse. So go ahead and acknowledge that you are having a bad day we all have them, but instead of continuing to be negative tell yourself,"Self, this is a bad day but tomorrow I have off and I get to go swimming, or some other activity you may enjoy." Having something to look forward to and by staying optimistic, can change your whole attitude as well as maybe even your day.

Peaceable Environment

What is a peaceable environment?

Peace: a state of mutual harmony between people or groups, especially in personal relations.

Peaceable: fond of, inclined toward or promoting peace; not argumentative or hostile.

Community: a group of people working together according to mutual interests or similar rules.

Session 3

For session 3 we continued on about first impression and body language. We watched clips of the movie Pretty Woman with Julia Roberts and Richard Gere.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_rlhF8NmKE&feature=PlayList&p=BB3363A4DDCADC50&index=3
(Fast forward to 9:00).

How are people reacting to Vivien, when she is walking down Rodeo Drive looking for new clothing? How did the women in the store treat her? It took only a short amount of time from the moment she walked in the door for the women to judge her. They took one look at Vivien and right away knew she was not in the right neighborhood. They refused to help her and told her to leave. They did not even get to know her as a person all they saw was the way she was dressed. Now watch this clip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHbSmXKpFq8&feature=PlayList&p=BB3363A4DDCADC50&index=6
(Fast forward to 1:00).

Now what do you notice? How are people treating her now that 1 they know she has money and 2 she is dressed in high end clothing?

This is a very sad fact of the society we live in. We judge people the minute we see them. We look at them up and down from the shoes they are wearing to the way their hair is combed, we automatically are drawn to a conclusion. Is it fair? Absolutely not. From a young age children are effected by this. Cliques are created because of a child's wealthiness or lack there of. You have the children that are always in the newest styles in a group. Then you have the group of children whose families can only afford hand me downs in a completely separate group. Think about how gangs are identified, by colors. A gang member may see someone wearing the wrong color and they way shoot them. Do they know this person? How could they judge someone so unworthy by just the color of their shirt?

Something we teach in our sessions is how to live in a peaceable environment. One way is to not rush to judge someone. Get to know that person before you judge. Who knows you may find your future best friend in a clique that is completely opposite of the one you are in. So much violence is created by people making judgements, but if we as a society took the time to get to know the person behind the expensive shirt or behind the worn out jeans, we could live in a much more peaceful world.

Great First Impression!!!

Session 2

Session 2 was devoted to first impression. Did you know that it only takes 7 seconds to make either a good impression or a bad impression? That is why it is so important that when we go for interviews or important meetings, that we not only dress for success, but we also have to remember that our body language speaks louder then our words. Everything from the way we sit or stand can indicate how we are feeling about a situation. For this session the youth were in groups and they came up with a skit to show the importance of making a good impression. By participating in an activity such as this, the youth are able to see different situations and how certain instances can be avoided. The youth also drew on a stick person to show how to dress for an interview. All drew nice work wear on their little person, as well as good hygiene by drawing nice hair, which we spoke about taking a shower everyday and making sure our hair is properly done, deodorant is worn, perfume or cologne is light, makeup is light, teeth are brushed, nails are clean, etc. These all seem like such minimal tasks, but people don't realize the impact it can have on giving a great impression.

Session 1

For session one, our youth watched 2 videos one about how Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream is made and distributed and the other about Community Action's services. Everyone introduced themselves as well as gave us their age, school they attend, and who their hero was. It was a good opportunity to get to know everyone, as we will all be working as a team for the next 12 weeks.

Holistic Education

Going Strong.

We are well on our way to a great training session. We have had a consistent group of 45 awesome youth all of whom are eager to learn. We had over 100 people attend our orientation which was an outstanding turnout. It seems now more then ever, youth are looking to gain the basic skills needs to be successful in the workplace, rather then just diving right in. It is important to have a good foundation, that is why we use a holistic approach in our educational workshops. We work from the inside out. Holistic education is a philosophy of education based on the premise that each person finds identity, meaning, and purpose in life through connections to the community, to the natural world, and to spiritual values such as compassion and peace. Holistic education aims to call forth from people an intrinsic reverence for life and a passionate love of learning.

Not only are we teaching our youth employment skill, we are also teaching them life skills that will stay with them for their whole life.

Deadline has passed

Hopefully everyone who wanted to participate has submitted their application. I received over 100 application, which is awesome. You should have received a confirmation letter with details of orientation. Remember you must RSVP by May 8 by 5pm to continue on in the program. If you have not received a letter from me please call 612 767 1712.

Deadline is today at 5pm

Today is the deadline for applications for our job training program. So if you are still looking to sign up, fax your application to 612 335 5855 by 5pm.

University of Minnesota Children's Hospital