Okay.
This project, and kind of hurting the cats and we know we all know what's been very challenging because you're also getting input from a lot of different professionals across the nation as part of the and other entities, including our team. And this person thought it was very.
Professional, how you've been able to juggle and deal with complex.
That have come because of the different professional improvements. So, this person wanted to recognize you for your effort there that your professionalism as well, as all of your efforts that you've had for our leadership development plan, you're making an impact on a lot of people in this district can we think.
So, as, uh, jen's walking back there, we had another comment that came in through the command box.
About mentorship programs um, did we publish that 1 already? The response.
No, not yet. Okay well, there's response coming out. It's really well written trust.
Basically, the concern of it was that we don't have opportunities for a lot of folks, and it looks like if you keep reading all the stuff before it out, but we're focusing on senior personnel.
Um, and I don't understand why folks would think that we, we're focusing on senior personalities. A lot of those programs are getting into the 12:13:14:that's where we want. We, we don't have anything that's overtly for our junior personnel. Um.
However, our leadership development program, our mentorship program, um, of which we have a brown bags, Saturday Implementers. So, come find out about that. Um, those are great opportunities to, uh, to make ourselves better leaders, make ourselves better um, you know, in our professional, uh, er.
Special our career so jen's doing a incredible part of that. Yes.
So, um, not sorry, Janet is doing an incredible part of that.
But what I wanted to, uh, wanted to recognize with the, uh, the mentorship program, and just a few things that are out there. We had an email that was sent out. Some of the programs. We have a lot of programs that are internal. We have programs come from from, from headquarters, so it may appear that a lot of those.
For senior folks, but there's a lot of opportunities for smart junior employees and this is the hard part for me to grasp, but, you know, there's always prerequisite to the course. So, if you want to take the really cool course in college, I'd pick the 1 that nobody wants to take. That's the hard part. With a lot of these. You have to be a prerequisite to make yourself eligible for the, uh, the executive leadership development.
Program or make stuff more competitive for the leadership development right now.
Um, and then that brings us to the, uh, the, we Association.
Um, and the, we associate that very familiar with anybody not familiar. We associate.
All right, so I'm supposed to be interactive. I know about the, we associated s**.
Um, so the, the, we Association.
Um, it's.
Well, let me back this all the way. We had this thing a few years ago, which kind of be a theme for a few of my responses. Today, the pandemic and code. They kind of changed how we all act. It changes the workplace changes. How we think about things changes what we consider when we make our decisions and our processes like that.
The association is kind of charged with making say, the workplace better. So this goes into, you know, talk about food truck this this morning, making sure that we have fun at work. Right? Because part of the whole work life balance thing is making sure that what we do is fun. Nobody wants to go come to work when it sucks every day. Right?
So the way association is, is 1 of the many ways that we make our workplace better, if 1 of many ways that we interact better with each other, but it's a lot of hard work. Right? Like, they're huge for putting things together, um, helping out Christmas party, helping out with the founders day, and it's all volunteer organization. Nobody gets paid.
Anything extra for being part of the association um.
But, um, as we go forward, you know, if you're not aware of the association participate in it and try and find out about it, we have a bunch of changes in personnel as we're going through. And.
Do you want to talk about the, uh, the personnel change calendar? Well.
We had a big changing in the guard. We all know Greg was the, we association president for many years. We.
I couldn't find the stone tablets that go back to any initially stepped into the 1.
I think it was somewhere in 2011 range, but obviously it's been doing yeoman's work on top of a really busy, full time job in regulatory. And we probably had a great opportunity with reinvigorating the folks supporting the association to pass the torch off. So crystal daily, our workforce manager.
Stepped up as a new association president, she's got a whole cadra, fired up volunteers behind her or Donna. The only 1 who's still on the books is managing all the money and is graciously agreed to remain in that role.
I know we got Alex W, as the secretary, and you've got Elliot and Marie as members of large and a few other folks. Who am I missing? Crystal Rebecca Rebecca is still managing the store, but it's.
Obviously, it comes down to a lot more than just the, uh, you know, half a dozen or so folks.
We're always looking for more participation, more representation from within the divisions and offices even if it's just for something like organizing the Pi day, like Sarah did from engineering, you know, something we can put a little bit of district wide horsepower behind your ad hoc efforts via the potluck.
Opening Day celebration on Friday, something like that. So please by all means if you're interested reach out to Crystal and her team, get your supervisor's approval. 1st, because many hands make work. But if it's all right with you, sir, we'd like to recognize Greg for the time that he put in. Yeah. Pretty much mentioned, Doug and Doug.
Oh, that's right. I'm sorry. Uh, uh, oh, that's like crazy. Crazy. Oh, hey guess what you just got bombed. Doug belongs to our unofficial, uh, mascot Forrest.
Okay, but in recognition of all the time that you spent, as the, we association volunteer president, a commander awarded you the civilian service foundation battle, which is presented to Gregory, our Penta for exceptional, supportive, the New England district work environment association for 2000 to 2024 and beyond.
Uh, culminating in the role of president for 2011 and 2024 under Greg's leadership, the association greatly enhanced the workforces, morale and welfare by fulfilling, worthwhile, benevolent needs for the common good and benefit of all district staff.
This dedication to the role of minimizing self service.
Reflects great credit upon itself. The New England district, and the U. S Army Corps of engineers signed up engineers.
gratulations Greg.
Hey, real quick.
This is this is the, uh, the rest of the apparatus that, uh, that goes with it. So, if you want to wear it on here, that's not.
And also want to make sure that we get you a colon.
Secret handshakes.
Thank you very much so.
Ask the question oh, she said, it's the end of my scripts is the, the fun part of the, uh, the whole thing and, uh, the the part that keeps everybody from getting out to the boot truck. But, uh, I've got a few things to talk about if you guys don't have any questions, um, or we can open it up for questions and talk about all the things that everybody's worried about. And the rumors and everything else.
Open this is the fun part. Okay. Okay. And there's.
You're not safe. There's no questions yet online. So so that was the bottom line.
All right any information on the move.
Yes, the move we're still in the process of kind of finalizing everything when we put together a, a PDT that should have representation from every, you know, some organization within the district we're looking for.
A place like this hopefully, it looks nicer than this. Um, you know, and when I say, we haven't actually nailed down the exact areas yet, but to reassure everybody, we shouldn't be moving far. If I had my way, we just haven't met 1 magically across the street. And moved right over into it, but I don't think that's gonna work out for us, but we're all looking in the.
Metro West area, and, you know, that's kind of a, the, uh.
Somewhere between here, and there, hopefully closer to here than anywhere else, we shouldn't be putting anybody out as far as adding considerable amount more time to the commute. I know. A lot of folks a word I don't want to move into Boston, you know, I'm sure there's a few of us that would love to be able to walk to work that live in Boston, but for.
Rest of the workforce, um, it'll be, you know, I'd say, squarely in the metro West area, which I don't know how you define that other than somewhere over here, you know, inside of 495. ish. So, maybe someone else says this previously, it was defined as a specific.
Area has that changed, um, we're still in the process doing that and this is 1 of those things like, we, we have to look at everybody that has interest in it before we say yes, this is absolutely where it needs to be. We've had a bunch of different. Oh, yeah we had an area that we did start out with. I think that was even before I came on board and that's generally.
Area we're looking at, I couldn't get into the specifics 1, because I don't know half the towns that I embarrass myself. I mean, I grew up in Western mass, so, Eastern masters still new to me, but looking at it. Yeah, there's a lot of different requirements that we have to look at. I know 1 of the big ones that John had worked on, um, with some of the other.
Federal agencies to make sure that all of our employees are pay is right for the area. We're going to make sure that we don't move anywhere outside where we would impact anybody's pay that's, you know, near and dear to everybody's heart. Um, but with with that said, I don't think we're gonna move too far, but, you know, I say if you move 20 miles somewhere in Eastern maps, that could.
You know, an hour half, depending on the day. So, um.
Yeah, the timeline still. Yeah, the timeline is still the same, you know, Tim correct me if I'm wrong, we're looking at I think it's March May of 27 March. 27th yes. So that's everything working in there. And all of us know how well best laid plans, especially some of the things that we do and some of the complex.
Sometimes that time shifts, but yeah, so, March, 27, we should be fully up and running with the flags flying up front and all of our computers working all the conference rooms updated.
So, she's pretty good with that. Thank you. Yes, man. So, for people that sustainable use, uh.
Transportation are be looking at locations that are not prohibitive of using public transportation or within. I would say.
Yes, you know, I can certainly appreciate that. Um.
Public transportation's probably not the best up here and I say that, you know, kind of under my breath, we definitely are looking at some of those possibilities. Um, and again, we're, we're to, let's say 2 new the better way of saying. Yes.
Computer real, for instance, I use the computer relevant I hear from you real, pretty well spread out around that situation. So I would think, ideally, or location would be proximity like the, which means.
The meeting time, or sorry, you know, the time constraints commuting manageable.
Okay, yep, I Tim sure the cheaper, real estate for people that coinomi the our 1st move meeting starts tomorrow. So that's our big district effort on that but.
In response to your question, it's a CSA procurement. So, general Services Administration, the agency that is conducting the least procurement process and what we have pushed them to do. And what they're good agreed to do is doing the best value procurement.
Procurement that balances all these different things. So, quality of the office space as well as location next to transit location, next to amenities, et cetera. So, location next to train, the nodes is going to be an evaluation criteria that will get balanced against.
The rest of them again, still the quality against nearby amenities, all those. So it is 1 of the major criteria.
So, we don't have the power to say ourselves with the core of engineers.
We want to be here that can be a railway station, but we can say we want you to to get more points.
To want a facility here a computer note Thank you.
So, please, so, 1 of the challenges, I think that we're going to find within the is.
You know, if you give those prescriptive requirements and they'll adhere to letter the law technically we're within about a half a mile of a public transportation network.
Right here where we stand, believe it or not because of that 1 bus stop that's out there by that nightmare of an intersection we're working on by vanderburgh. So, by the letter of the law, we're like, really close to computer public transportation right now.
You may be 1 of the very few here at the headquarters who actually available themselves.
So, we're going to do our best to to make the requirements such that.
You know, they carry the meeting rather than just something that it's a box they can check just because there's a bus station within, you know.
Point 4 9.999miles.
Uh, my office with them, I think we might have a 1st volunteer for the, for the PDT.
You know, and and that's a good point. So.
I I have a lot of worry about this, and it's 1 of those ones. We make sure we're making the right decisions and benefits everybody as much as I want to have, you know, the CO located with a brewery and have a really nice to be around. And so on and so forth.
We need to make sure that we're making the right decision and.
Absolutely, we need to make sure that everybody's curve.
I think that's probably the better 1 through through the so that when we make these requirements, um, you know, just with every hard decision we have some of them should weigh a lot more than some of the other ones getting. There is obviously.
You know, there, there's probably places that are very inexpensive.
Um, the only thing around there are Apple orchards and that's probably not the, the best place for us to be located.
Very, how we being recorded, so that when that.
What else? Any questions? So she's got 1 at all.
I was just gonna say, the soft, real estate market, let's make it a little easier. Let's expand the choices because commercial space, and there's also a slump because they have excellent data that help them. I would think so. I mean, we get better bang for buck as far as where the real estate market is for commercial property. Yes. Or no.
Certain markets, yes, others a little softer and then, you know, the solicitation is later this year, we're dealing with the market a year or 2 from. Now is that going to be the same as it is now? But yes, it.
The general softness of it probably needs lower prices than they would have been. And otherwise.
And related to this, is that a question, um, previous trends across uses.
As well, as the discussion in any we're looking at hotel space and we're cubicles.
With the recent legislation, and the push from Congress.
Are we looking to reverse that trend and going back to cubicle farms for all? That's a good question. That's a fantastic question. Um.
I don't pretend to know which way the political Winslow that's probably the, uh, the better response that I was in.
Very worried when I saw that there was there was a suggestion of, um, putting into law that all federal employees needed to come back to work, needed to take up the federal buildings.
While I'm sympathetic to the argument, and when I say that the argument that we own something, we should use it, otherwise we should divest it. Right? That makes sense. I don't necessarily know I went in panic mode. I was like, oh, what kind of policy do I need to write to protect knowingly and make sure we're making the right decisions and then came in of course a doc Scott Scott's like yeah. We'll see when it goes into.
Then we'll start making responses to it. So, um, yes, I mean, that's something we do need to take into account, but we do need to be cognizant of what our elected officials and our lawmakers are doing. As far as policy for the federal government.
However, within those rules will make the best decisions for the district.
Um, and we'll see, I think currently right now, we're not at the 100 staffing is what we're planning on, but we'll see as as we get there and we start to make decisions, but requirements in on it. I'm sure here in the next year. 2 years, we'll find out exactly what we need to do and what we need to do and that's the.
That the coolest part about our political system is we can see where change comes every few years, or we.
That's it for the chat right now. Okay. That'd be a bad matrix.
Sir morning are we still looking at potentially moving and staying in the triangle? Northrop to.
Some piece around 3, southwest of 495 I mean, more.
Yes, I mean, I, I'm trying to loosely say, what is the metro West area, and I think it's anywhere you want to sell real estate right about now. But, yeah, that's probably, I'd say a good general. I would say the Bermuda Triangle or put a big red on the map. I think that's probably.
Generally here we were looking, so it's like a slice of a donor.
North of about 9 ish.
South of 3 that set it up towards New Hampshire and then 95 and 409.
More more or less.
Yeah, and all the details, but I want to put the commitment in front of that and I go yeah. Generally over here. That's correct. So when I put the gloves on and try and point those areas, there's obviously, you know, different, um.
Different counties will look back and pay there's different places where you just can't get there from here. Um, those types of things that's something for a headache for the real estate folks and the to get after.
Anything else in the room or? Sorry? Uh, separate from, uh, uh, just as important about, including how I need to talk to crystal.
But same thing about.
Changes it seemed to be kind of related to compensation packages for top talent that we try to recruit.
Basically, um, so perhaps it's more of this, but it has to do with, uh.
Um, for the experienced position between where we really need experienced top people, um.
I understand that we can no longer use the existing salaries part of that compensation package development right?
You know, it's interesting way outside of what I know, but I did read something. Um.
There's are you repeat your question? Yes. Want to know if we can generally talk about recruiting and compensation. Um, he had heard that we can't use, uh, already established, uh, salaries and discussion for compensation that director.
Um, yes.
I, it's it's kind of interesting with, uh, some of the changes that we have in federal service. Um, so, diversity, quality and inclusion, I think, is the, uh, we have a new.
Army remember what her official title is that she is the.
Person in charge of the, for the army, and there's a lot of initiatives that come with that and we'll see some changes. Most of which will be.
All of them will be for the better. Some of them have some growing pains to come with them. Right 1 of the ones that can talk about.
I'm not allowed to have my picture in my promotion pack it anymore.
Because, you know, someone to look at me and say, they look like me act like me, talk like me. I don't think that I'm allowed to have my, or they blacked out my marital status. They black out my.
Blackout my state of residents in there, right? I always joke because I wear a big ring in my picture, because I know that hopefully, someone on the board realized that I went to the same school with as them and they'll take me that's 1 of those weird thing in nature. Right we're looking at that. So.
I think you'll see a little bit from those changes. I think that we should look at compensation to what folks are work for our organization. And I think there's a concern whether or not it's valid. I think it's certainly worth looking into that. Some people get paid different compensation from other people.
It's not because of from the company that came from, maybe it's because of the region they came from. Maybe it's because of.
You know, I'll stretch out maybe it's because of the job they are doing or God forbid maybe it's because of what they look like, or who they are. So, as we know how to make these changes, I think that there will be some knee jerk reaction that we shouldn't compare past compensation. Because if I was lucky enough, and I was working.
I don't know not in Boston proper for a really big name company and I'm competing against someone that was working for not big company. Maybe their parents company not making as much, and we're competing those 2 against each other. If I'm making a decision on that, you didn't want to hire want to hire the 1 that I get the most bang for buck.
So, I'm going to hire the person that wasn't being compensated as much.
And it's more of a valued that's obviously not a value of the person that's being that.
It's being hired, so, um.
Yes, I think that we'll start to see some things now.
Welcome to Boston we've got the new hotness here in the Northeast. Everybody used to worry about New York City and cost of living. Everybody's worried about San Francisco and the cost of living, and we read some of the trends right now between real estate, just general cost of living and I think everybody realizes how much money breaks and we're all millionaires here. So.
President don't, it's 1 of those types of things. Um, we, we have to look at how we do recruit folks how we do compensate our team. Um, I think that we would be making a poor decision in the long run to just instantly increase everybody by pay grade.
Um, if I were paying in the world for a day, I'd probably do something like, hey, why don't we just make people get paid appropriately based off of their responsibility level.
You know, military side I like to remind folks that Lawrence radio was the tenant.
What's the colonel? So, maybe, that's where we put our approach, um, sort of responsibility and appropriate. Um, I know we're always going to struggle here, right? Because you have to have a tie to the area. You don't want to move to Boston to be paid squarely in the lower portion.
Books we've got a question from the chat. That's right.
Uh, when is the question? Oh, did that answer anything? You might want to see it critical event happening.
Basically, what the change, what the change is, is that instead of offering somebody's superior calls based on what they currently make, you have to based on what their peers are going to be making here.
And the intent of the rule, the intent of the change is to close any gender pay gap that there is to make it more the equivalent for everybody.
So, that's the, that's the intent behind the change.
So, it seems harder, but it's actually, it's just rewarding your reasoning.
You can still do it so, is it different reason.
We've already seen the 1st packet or 2 come through for hiring incentive requests where we had to remove that information explicitly. And between crystal, and your hiring manager slash division and office, she's, it's still doing more than adequate of the job making the case to justify the incentive. I don't think they've sent 1 to yet to the admin side.
That'd be perfectly honest with you. Um, I guess it's more of a curiosity when people used to put their their.
Compensation it's a need for choices. I gave it a bunch.
You're serving your country? Oh, yes. Uh, we have a question here.
When is the potential change in district telework office requirements extended.
Ah, yeah, this is a a big 1 um, as soon as we get it finalized, um, no, it all honestly, I think we should, um.
This 1, all back together, I want to have a telework and remote work policy that aligns with industry that meets the intent of our elected officials that gives the most flexibility to our employees.
And gives the most power to make the decisions to be needed supervisors.
That's probably not going to be the easiest thing world to do. I think we're, we're starting to strike a, uh.
Compromise in the middle of all of that. Um.
It's been interesting right? So we're talking about.
From the trend of what covance brought us, Coby taught us a lot of different things. Realize some of our priorities made. Some of us lose our mind and made some of us be highly effective. And at the same time, you know, here we are, we're operating on a back to work prop policy. I think that's squarely update. Right?
We're back to work. This is normal. This is not, you know, we're not waiting for the world to change yet again, so that we can be done with Toby, but this is how we're going to work with how we're going to live. So, with that said a few things that I want to.
Really make sure that we drive on the policy is this is, you know, between employee and the supervisor.
I need to empower the supervisor to make the right decision for our folks. You know, there's.
We, we have to be at work for some things and some things we don't have to be present in the building for.
We need to make those the the right way. Um.
And 1 of the things I want to look at is we get paid our 6 week. I get paid by a month, you guys get paid by the hour. So.
Um, you know, your compensation package is based off of the hours that you work your lead that is based off of the hours that you work.
So, why shouldn't we have a policy that fits the prescribes to how many hours you need to be in the office, as opposed to how many days in the office add flexibility to the the possibility with that said, we still have to talk to the unions about it make sure that it's appropriate for all the employees we still have to make sure.
That Ryan and his team are happy with it so that I don't get do anything that gets me in trouble and.
I think we just had policy that came out from higher headquarters or headquarters in part in the army.
Last 3 or 4 weeks so we're squarely aligned with that, which is good news and then we're just in the process of realigning it. I think.
I don't know, I'd say it all works. Well, maybe you're in the next month or so we should be able to get that policy out and then There'll be a short period of allowing everybody to re, align with that. I sent an email out.
And, you know, my, my sense humor is a little bit, I don't know, sarcastic and cynical so, sarcasm doesn't always translate well in written.
Written form I don't really think that anybody has a doggy daycare with dogs out there. I'd be jealous if, if I knew of someone that was conducting their work on a fishing boat, and I'd like them to tell me how to do that. So, I can get under that I was kind of making fun of that is the most extreme.
Whole thing, not that I anticipate that any 1 of our employees I know that, you know, all the stuff that we have going on in our lives.
Uh, there's no way that we could do that. And again, if someone is some kind of jealous, or if someone is, I guess, maybe I'm talking at that person. Please, don't have a doggy daycare on a fishing boat. Because that wouldn't be a good thing. But in all honesty, we just need to make sure that we're, we're doing the right things that we're being more capable.
And as we learn, we had the conversation with supervisors looking over here at Amy and I think 1 of the best decisions that when it comes to, uh.
You know, remote work and possibility of it from the last hurricane that we had coming in. We said, we're gonna go and have everybody go remote? Why? Because there's all kinds of redundancy. If we lose power in 1 place, then someone else to be able to pick up, pick a problem. But that's that's fantastic. I think that's a good use for.
Um, so, I don't know, probably rambling too much on that on the, uh, uh.
The remote work and the.
That'll work policy coming up, like, said, as soon as we get that out, we're going to revoke the back to work policy because I said, that's just updated. Passe. It doesn't work anymore. This would be, you know.
A newer looked at it and it will incorporate. I said, maximum flexibility between the employees and the supervisors.
Okay, we've got about 15 minutes left for questions. Anyone else.
We don't have anything on that. I'm trying to just to return to the conversation on relocation. I'm sorry I think that. Did you have a.
Date that you're anticipating to, like, is there, like.
That schedule, and when you're going to announce where we're relocating to, or is it going to be like, is that something that I couldn't begin to predict that? And this is 1 of those things like so we have to work through the GSA process. I think there's probably gonna be. Yeah, so.
It's a GSA solicitation, which means basically that solicitation that.
You know, hey, we need X amount of square feet in a certain box is going to go up to the general market. Probably at the end of this year end of 24 for them to the lease in 20. so, awarding the lease is selected selecting that.
In 45, so they haven't told me when it's 25. that's a good question. Question question but.
They haven't done that yet. So sometime in 25 we'll have a new location. Perfect. Yeah. Yeah.
Releases up in March of 2027 that's when we have to be out of here.
So, the space in between those times is when they're building an outdoors.
Can you talk a little bit about the conference room upgrades? Please.
I could, um, oh, okay. Um, yeah, so the, the conference updates, um, I think we've had a bunch of change.
In our.
Call out all here in a 2nd, we've had a bunch of changes in our I. T, and I know a.
Regrow and all of them working with their team quite a bit.
To make sure that we we improve kind of joking, but when i1st came in here, we're going to talk about all of our off sites are going to move up to and.
You know, I kind of, um, I'm not joking when I say when i1st got out of college, I was making a decision of whether I wanted to move up to 1 or stick with dialogue.
And those are my options, so 20 something years later and we're making the decision to go to T1 and or off sites. I think that's kind of ridiculous.
Managed to bypass that, and we're, we're looking at our other options and the same things happening with our conference rooms. Um, I honestly don't know which comes from right up top of my head, but I want to say most of them be done at the end of this month. So that.
Correct, right? They'll be done the, the end of this month. We have the material on hand we have the contract that has come in so they're building out who's going to be doing it where they're going to be doing it. We have the materials on hand since you're executing.
So that's ultimate. That's that's big strides. We've gotten feedback as you guys starting to use it for incorporating feedback.
Sorry, can you come up towards that? I will say taking the feedback that you guys have given us. So there are slight modifications. We're doing all the new ones. So there's going to be a little bit of change in terms of when we can execute the installation. Simply because we're going back to the contract, you're saying we're going to take this out because it didn't work for.
So, we're following that, thank you.
Anybody else we saw blood drives here any January. We're starting. That sounds like a great idea. I have no idea. I don't know why they started probably coping with the nurse. I don't know if that's who organized it before. I'm not sure who organized it. So.
Address this, actually, the Red Cross has changed the locations of where they come to actually do collections. So we were outside of that area. We, as, you know, Catherine going to tell us how that works for the Red Cross. And so she's been trying her change, been trying to get.
Um, you know, this area back into that so it looks like it may be a possibility and when that happens.
Uh, we will stop offering that. Sorry you were working with our.
I'm sure they have them. I don't know, but you can go online. You just put it in your staff and once they find you yeah.
Yeah, so he's saying that was 1 of the bad hires. I'll send you my Massachusetts updated card. Um.
Let me look into it. I have no idea if they still didn't do the, they do the 1 hand.
Yeah, that's why oh s***. Sorry. So it's all on segment the code. So, because we are in the zip code.
They are union pretty much said we're not going to conquer it's about within their region but Sheila, I've already mentioned my mom was kind of residents that have background. So hopefully, I think that she can know by the end of the month. So.
Oh, that's crazy. They, they don't want conquered blood.
No problem.
Anything else? Okay.
Nobody has anything else. I have 1 more shameless plugged. I was down at the conference and former corps of engineers employee stood up and gave the general settlement about how we look into unprofessional and it was kind of he was kind of joking with it. But obviously we joke.
True to it he said that he was corresponding with the gentleman and the end of his email and just said Bob.
No contact information, other than the email that came in on and so on so forth.
Um, and I've been on the receiving end of that, um, working with corps of engineers. Uh, a lot of folks don't understand that you can change the bottom of your, your email, but I'm not consulting anyone in the room and I'm not trying to consult and let's say there's weird things. Microsoft and our iPhone.
Phones that are Android phones, we can do all of that and it's also kind of funny. And I'm sure you've all seen the videos online. The gentleman can't get the cat face off of his, you know, my, my daughter's like the uniforms that throw out the way or the rainbow and they also like.
File the sparkles on top of it and when they say FaceTime with me, uh, but those have their place probably not in in our workforce.
Um, so we kind of wanted to make a more professional parents to make sure everybody's on the same sheet of music. Um.
I go through my own personal ways of being contacted. I want to talk to someone in person after I talked to him in person I'd love to talk to him, you know, maybe on a, a video or on telephone. Um, and then I'd like to go to written correspondence and the formal correspondence all the way down to text messaging and whatever those how those shake out for you.
Um, but keep everybody that, um, that, that opportunity, when you have your signature block on there, um.
You know, I'm sure and I haven't seen your signature block a little bit, but I'm sure you have X amount of stuff with the LinkedIn, all the social media posts.
Um, but I think you're referencing, you sent out an email at the February 7th. If anybody missed it.
And it has all the instructions in there they've got 1 folks to do, and it's, you know, has approved backgrounds when I say, approved backgrounds. There's no committee that shows those approved backgrounds or suggestions. I've had a few people ask me and say, hey, I've worked on this project and I put that in my background. Absolutely. I have this great picture.
1 of our Dan's can I use that in background? Absolutely. If your office looks way more professional than mine does go ahead and put, you know, use the backdrop of your office. But if you're like me, and you're working through Webex and you're in your garage, probably people don't want to see in a stacks of extra buyers and hear stuff like that. So, just.
Background on it, give folks the option to be able to contact you make sure it just doesn't say Bob on the bottom. Like who's this person? What organization why why are they important to me? So on and so forth, but I really appreciate if everybody had to look at that and kind of keep everybody on the same sheet of music. If you've already done some of your peers.
You know, you should design your email Bob last name is Bob and sort of last name and the rest of the contact. Sir, uh, 1 of the things I noticed, you might have the zoom meeting is from outside before, but actually this scenario for can choose your background.
I just end up using a bird background and moving back. I don't forget it, but if that wasn't my chief background, so I can't use it for that. Yeah, no, that's fine. I said that that's more on the suggestions part.
I don't necessarily love the blueprint background myself.
So, 1 of the approved backgrounds and just not my favorite. Yeah. Um, so, yeah, whatever it is. Um.
Even though everybody wants to see each other's kids. I don't necessarily know, you know, what my house is on fire and the kids are running behind me and doing that. That's something that needs to be broadcast out there. So that's a good use for the blurb. Yeah.
Pretty quick pylons on to that number 1 if anybody lost that email would like me to send another. I am more than happy to bubble it to the top of your inbox. Since I said the 1st 1 number 2. please double check your signature blocks, you adjusted both the 1 that goes out when you are the originator of an email.
As well, as the 1 that goes out if you're getting a reply or a full.
I think a lot of times you wind up on a longer threat and you've chimed in late in the game. That's when you get Bob or Jane or Taylor and because you weren't the 1 who started that email.
We don't have the rest of your contact at it now that you've chimed in.
The 3rd thing I want to share is just a little approach that I picked up from Scott, and I can pick on him because he's not a here. It took us about 6 months at the start of code when we all started doing a video conferencing to realize.
That he had taken a picture from the perspective of this computers camera in his office.
And then use that as his virtual backup, and it took us a while to realize, no, it wasn't just that he hasn't changed the battery in his clock. But time isn't changing. Because that image is, it's actually sitting in this patient organization. I'm not saying that's the best practice, but.
Awesome links to if you don't want to send it out. Oh, yeah. There you go. Okay. So you can find all the instructions for updating your signature box contact information. All that stuff is on the quick link.
So, unless anybody else has any, any questions, anything we're clear on chat.
Um, oh, someone asked or to someone has the instructions to insert the team's meaning.
The icon in your signature block I'll work with this person afterwards. Cool. Yeah.
Once we find that we'll add it to the quick quick. Okay.
The headset to turn teams. Austin. Fine. Yes that 1. Oh, I did have 1 question. I used my I use the, uh, the company phone. I don't know how to actually put the block my signature so I have to type that in to make sure. I don't know contacting. Okay great.
The the seller problem? Yeah. Okay. So anyone who's got the best practices that aren't captured in, that 1st blast of what we set out.
Or, if the cheapest staff messed up and send you instructions for adjusting an Android that work, right? Or any other changes, additions, deletions, comments, questions, complaint, certain feelings, send those to will and they'll consolidate them and update that 1 stop shop that we have on the quick links for updating all the ways that people can reach.
Right. I think that about wraps it up. Uh, there is a food truck out there and, you know, I'm thinking the loss of rules are going to go. 1st so I might want to hurry up and run out there. Um.
The mentorship around banks at 12 and well.
Yes, so we can go get our our modules and then come back into the wrap back for the mentorship. Yep. Pretty informative. Um, it's a great opportunity. Uh, you know, each, and every 1 of us, regardless of where we stand in the organization, have a lot to teach our peers, whether it be simple things like how to deal with our.
Problems what not or, you know, how to navigate the workforce and things are unique. Each 1 of us, you know, if 1 person.
Works better when I tell them to the colonel, if 1 currently gives you your opinion on, how to do a better job and whatnot, go find another car because you know that mentorships all about. Some of those opinions are terrible. So have many mentors in different facets of your life. So, with that, you use that the program appropriately.
Thanks for coming everybody. Uh, this is awesome when I do travel out to all of our off sites and I do talk to folks I want to reiterate kind of, if there's something that we're doing and it's dumb.
Come tell me about it sending an email. I do get a lot of emails from folks out before say this is pretty dumb, because if it is done and I'm the 1 that's making us, do it we need to hurry up and change that. If it's my boss or my boss's boss, that's making us do it and it's done. I need to have a conversation with them and say, hey, this is how we see this going.
And this is probably not the best way of going about doing it. Sometimes, you know, what fits for 1 place doesn't fit for another place. Sometimes, you know, things that are meant for 1 reason aren't executed in a way that it's meant. So, uh, if you see something like that, please send me an email about it. Send me a text message. I'll look into it.
Sometimes, I can't do anything about it. I can't can't fix the sending of the receipts with the cards that are already there in electronic ledger. Um, which is.
Ridiculous but someone needs to see those for accountability purposes and that's not a policy that we can influence. So but some of them, we can absolutely say, hey, this doesn't make any sense. We'll work with Jamie with that. If you brought across something in the workforce, feel like this is the greatest thing ever also send me an email about.
You know, I'll make sure that someone else doesn't say that. It's done when we cancel it. That's a good thing for me to know. And then, obviously we all have friends. That are in the industry. We have places that folks are working and they have better stuff than we have. If you see something better, send it to us. We'll look.
What.
That kind of leads into the new markets someone out there saw it. She said this is much better context for folks, and we're going to try and get those hard heads up folks as quickly as possible. Make sure they have the appropriate hardware, but that's just 1 example of someone saying, hey, this is a, this is a good idea. This is something we have out there. We need to incorporate that what we do.
Is that Thank you very much for coming in.
So, keep that up.
Mentoring meeting right now.
Awesome. Great. Thank you.
Yeah, yeah.