As 2010 comes to a close, 
Marylee and I would like to take this opportunity to wish all our readers a safe and wonderful New Year. We hope you have found our blog posts helpful and infomative. We look forward to continuing to share helpful information and topics to assist employers with improving their workplaces. Be sure to check in with us in 2011.
Our blog just turned 1. It is hard to believe it has already been a year since Marylee and I started writing this blog. Boy, does time fly by. We wanted to take a brief moment to thank some people who have assisted us along the blogging path. These include: Kevin O’Keefe and the staff at LexBlog without whose help and guidance we would not have embarked on this new and creative outlet; Attorney Susan Minsberg who is always telling people about our blog and has been generous enough to offer suggestions on topics we should write about; our other attorney friends and colleagues who allowed us to bounce ideas off them and offered us their wonderful insight; lastly, you the readers for your trust and interest in what we have to say.
Our goal is to provide helpful information to public and private sector employers about labor and employment issues to assist them in making their workplaces better and keeping themselves and their businesses out of legal trouble. If you have a topic you would like us to write about, just let us know. We love feedback from readers.
Again thank you and we hope you continue to enjoy reading the blog, as much as we enjoy writing it.
Years ago, I heard the creative prose “Lessons from Geese” at a fund-raising social event. The speaker identified the author as anonymous. Thanks to the Internet, I have since read credible documentation attributing the lessons to Dr. Robert McNeish, former Associate. Superintendent of Baltimore Public Schools, 1972.
I have often thought of “Lessons from Geese,” especially during the fall of the year. In the Midwest, we have the pleasure of watching the V-shaped flying formation of large flocks of Canadian geese leave Minnesota for their southern winter homes. Dr. McNeish observed the migratory behavior of geese and penned a beautiful prose on teamwork. It is not a big leap to see how it applies to workplaces.
5 teamwork "Lessons from Geese"
Fact 1: As each goose flaps its wings it creates an “uplift” for the birds that follow. By flying in a “V” formation, the whole flock adds 70% greater flying range than if each bird flew alone.
Fact 2: When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of flying alone. It quickly moves back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front of it.
Fact 3: When the lead goose tires, it rotates back into the formation and another goose flies to the point position.
Fact 4: The geese flying in formation honk to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.
Fact 5: When a goose gets sick, wounded, or shot down, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with it until it dies or is able to fly again. Then, they launch out with another formation or catch up with the flock.
Last night, I enjoyed a pleasant summer evening at Seven Sushi Ultralounge and Skybar engaged in lively conversation with other Minnesota bloggers and attorneys. Kevin O’Keefe with LexBlog, whom I have known for almost 15 years since he was a practicing attorney in Wisconsin and I was his paralegal, hosted the event while visiting Minnesota. It was fabulous to get a chance to catch up with Kevin about work and family after so many years and learn more about blogging. It was also nice to meet and get to know local attorneys including Marty Rosenbaum, Sam Glover and Peter Berge. The summer evening was made even better by the victory of the Minnesota Twins over the Chicago White Sox. GO TWINS!!!
Celebrating accomplishments is important, and this includes business events like two year anniversaries. Our law firm just celebrated 2 years of being in business with a wonderful open house for friends, business partners, and colleagues. We called it our “Grand Opening: So Grand It Was 2 Years In The Making,” thus titled by our graphic artist Cheryl Brunkow who designed the invitations.
Food was prepared by Chef Greg who developed a fabulous menu for us, including cherry wood
smoked salmon with tarragon, artichoke dip with roasted tomatoes, Italian meatballs, fried eggrolls made fresh on site, and vegetable stuffed mushrooms. We went heavy on the sweet treats and served unbelievably wonderful flan with caramel sauce, old-fashioned cherry cobbler, decadent chocolate cream cheese brownies, and cheesecake with fresh strawberry or raspberry sauce.
It was a truly grand summer evening, celebrating a dream come true. Frank Sinatra and Michael Buble filled the air, along with many pleasant conversations. Business connections were made and new friendships kindled. Remember to celebrate the big and little accomplishments in your business life, and great food can really help!
Marylee Abrams and I had the wonderful opportunity on Monday to attend the White Bear Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual golf tournament. (No, neither of us golfed, that could have been dangerous for those around us.) We did however enjoy a beautiful day at the 8th hole of the lovely Dellwood Hills Golf Club, meeting and visiting with many local area business owners, city officials and golfers.
We appreciate the opportunity to share with these individuals what our firm does and learn more about the businesses in our community. It is amazing how much business gets done on a golf course. We are already looking forward to next year’s tournament. Neither of us realized golf could be so much fun.
Employers are stretched thin trying to keep afloat during these current economic times. Money is tight, banks are reluctant to loan, customers/clients don’t want to spend money and of course, employees still want their paychecks.
Employers need a little levity right about now. If you think your workplace has problems or gives you a headache, things could be worse. Your workplace and employees could have been included in the Top 10 List of Weirdest Work Stories for 2009.
It gives you a new perspective to compare the challenges at your workplace, with the employer who let an employee borrow his Ferrari and she flipped it causing $125,000 in damage; or the employer who had almost 150 employees get sick after a co-worker sprayed perfume at the workplace. This is not the way you want to brand your business or get it in the news. Hey, 2010 is looking brighter already!
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