05/03/2019
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Greetings MTAS,
Happy May Day to you, and for those with a Kentucky connection – happy Derby Day.
May began with a bang on the first when I met with two representatives from Red Deluxe, the company IPS has hired to assist with our marketing and branding campaign. Part of the IPS strategic plan is to better tell our story (we will communicate the impact, value, and story of IPS). Joining me at that meeting were Elisha, Abb, Sarah, Frances, and one of our customers (and former employee) Kirk Bednar from Brentwood. The duo asked great questions that will help them help us in our efforts. I eagerly await seeing the outcomes from that meeting. Thanks to those that contributed to the conversation.
Also last week was the IPS supervisory training session. There was a segment that really caught my attention, so I captured it to share with you. It is taken from The Progress Principle by Teresa Amabile: “Building personal bonds between coworkers is important. Finding ways for people to meet face-to-face on a regular basis and have fun together isn’t just a nice thing to do. It helps improve the flow of ideas and increase collaboration and it limits the impact of interpersonal conflict. This becomes even more important in an age where more of us work remotely.” Geography is and always will be a challenge for MTAS.
As a terrific lead-in, kudos go to Brad for coordinating an MTAS fun evening at the Smokies ballpark last Friday. All that attended had a fabulous night; and the weather was just right. The first inning was tough to watch (six opposing runs scored on three errors), but we still had a good time. It was a loss for the Smokies but a win for the friendship and camaraderie. Thank you Brad for getting us together for a night of fun. I encourage any and all of you to follow Brad’s lead.
I’m not quite done with Brad just yet – he had a service anniversary last week on April 30. Brad, happy work anniversary!
I have more good news to share with you. I received through a third party another “way to go” from a Local Government officer about the assistance given by Cyndy and Sarah when he had trouble with a certificate. I was told this individual “was very complimentary of how quickly they addressed and resolved the issue to his complete satisfaction.” Service is in our name, and it makes me so happy to hear from customers (directly and indirectly) about how satisfied they are with our customer service. Well done Cyndy and Sarah! In addition, thanks to the little bird that told me of the conversation.
Finally, last week I was honored with an invitation to speak before the newest IPS Leadership Academy. We have three participants in this class: Rex, Steve C. and Brad. I talked about how I landed and have stayed at MTAS. I started as a graduate intern, fell in love with the culture, the family, and the purpose of the agency and determined that MTAS is where I wanted to spend my professional career after I got the requisite city experience. It was a wonderful homecoming to me when I returned in 2001, and I have never regretted my choice of MTAS as my work home. I shared with the class the great work that you do helping our municipal customers and then told them about our new strategic plan. I finished with a little discussion about my leadership philosophies. I told them about Margaret’s mottos: Life is too short not to enjoy it; If it’s worth doing, then it’s worth doing right, and doing right the first time; Do what you can, where you are, with what you have; It’s not a mistake if you learn from it; and You always have a choice (about your attitude). I tied these to the MTAS values of A Service IQ (adaptability, service-oriented, integrity and quality). I hope you can find similar alignment with what you believe in and what you do day-in and day-out. Top it all off with a personal bond with coworkers and I think you’ll find some powerfully good stuff.
Here's to you and good stuff!
Margaret
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