Taney Dragons named Sports Writers’ “Team of the Year”

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Add another major award to Philadelphia’s Taney Dragons, United States Runners-Up in the 2014 Little League World Series.

             The Dragons have been named “Team of the Year” by the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association (PSWA). Manager Alex Rice, his coaching staff and all team members will be honored at PSWA’s annual awards dinner (open to the public) on Friday, Jan. 16, 2015 at Cherry Hill’s (N.J.) Crowne Plaza – sharing the spotlight with some of the best current and past professional and collegiate athletes from Philadelphia and the nation.

             “Taney’s accomplishments transcend sports,” says PSWA president Ron Corbin. “They were chosen for representing Philadelphia and the region, and because the organization’s approach is a textbook example of what sports – and especially youth sports – are all about.”

             Taney’s website says it all: “Help teach the values of good sportsmanship, teamwork, fair play, loyalty and discipline. And remember, you are here to have fun, too.”

             Taney will be forever engraved on the same plaque as previous “Teams of the Year” the Phillies, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and New York City Heroes of 9/11.

             This year, for the first time, PSWA will join with Philadelphia-Area colleges and universities through the PhillySIDA (Sports Information Directors Association) honoring the All-Area Student-Athlete Team and a Performer of the Year in each of the sports. An overall male and female performer are also chosen.

             Other awards presented annually include Outstanding Professional and Amateur Athletes, Living Legend, Native Son, Humanitarian, Good Guy and one of the nation’s most recognized awards Most Courageous Athlete – kept secret until it is presented. It is presented to an amateur or professional who was able to return to his or her sport after a serious injury or other set back.

           The 2015 PSWA Dinner marks the 111th for the organization founded in 1904. Those honored over the years include Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Stan Musial, Reggie Jackson, Joe DiMaggio, Muhammad Ali,  Robin Roberts, Wilt Chamberlain, Guy Rodgers, Julius Erving, Chuck Bednarik, Brad Lidge, Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, Kathy Rush, Carli Lloyd, Elena Delle Donne, Lois Gilmore, Nicole Hester, Sheila Reid, Kristen Lange, Tommy John, Terry-Jo Myers and others.

             The PSWA Dinner is open to the public. Tickets are available at www.pswadinner.org.

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New important resume information

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Debra Auerback of CareerBuilder dot com has come up with  words to avoid when crafting your resume. She attributes her comments to Jamie Belinne, assitant dean for career services at the C.T. Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston’s Rockwell Career Center, and others. 

When you get a chance, check out The ABCs of Strategic Communication on larry litwin dot com. There are some excellent resume suggestions within. Do not hesitate to mail me with comments or questions. To see Debra’s full story, check out her “TheWorkBuzz.com.”

Words to avoid: (I do disagree with one — and you will quickly recognize it)

  • Best of breed
  • Go-getter
  • Think outside the box
  • Synergy (ugh)
  • Thought leadership
  • Value added
  • Results-driven
  • Team player
  • Bottom-line

Here are words employers want to see:

  • Achieved
  • Improved
  • Trained/mentored
  • Managed
  • Created
  • Resolved
  • Volunteered

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Tips to Succeed: Workplace relationships

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Here is Tip No. 89 from Larry Litwin’s The ABCs of Strategic CommunicationLike The Public Relations Practitioner’s Playbook for (all) Strategic CommunicatorsThe ABCs is used at two-dozen colleges and universities and has found itself on the desks of hundreds of professionals. It contains 7,000 definitions and nearly 300 proven successful strategic communication tips and techniques.

A leader, whether in or outside of the office, must be able to

understand the different types of personalities on his or her team.

Here are some tips to help strengthen professional and personal

relationships:

• Don’t criticize, condemn or complain. Avoid being negative and

offer only honest and sincere appreciation when warranted.

• Always show you’re happy to see someone. A pleasant or warm

greeting, especially after some length of time, is a particularly

effective approach.

• Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk more about themselves,

reaffirming your sincere interest.When you do speak,

always try to talk in terms of the other person’s interests.This is

an excellent way to redirect a conversation should you want to

move on to a different subject.

• Never forget that people are always impressed when you remember

their name.Nothing can strengthen a relationship like showing

you are interested enough in a person to recollect his or her

name. It adds an effective personal dimension to any relationship.

And saying the person’s name when you meet them is

exactly what they want to hear.

• Make the other person feel important.Use a sincere and honest

manner to establish a sense of worth and importance. Remember

that everyone has some quality or skill that makes him or her

important. When you recognize this in others, point it out in a

proactive manner – like catching them doing something good.

(From: Dale Carnegie Training of Central and Southern New Jersey)

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Tips to Succeed: A user-friendly website

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Here is Tip No. 9 from Larry Litwin’s The ABCs of Strategic CommunicationLike The Public Relations Practitioner’s Playbook for (all) Strategic CommunicatorsThe ABCs is used at two-dozen colleges and universities and has found itself on the desks of hundreds of professionals. It contains 7,000 definitions and nearly 300 proven successful strategic communication tips and techniques.

So many people flock to the Web that if your  website is not user-friendly you may be sending potential clients elsewhere.

Here are some hints to assure your Web site is right for business:

• Can visitors find information easily?

• Is the navigation clear and consistent throughout the site?

• Can visitors easily find your contact information?

• Do the pages load quickly on a standard modem connection?
Many users still have dial-up service.

• Are the most important elements of your site visible without
scrolling up and down or side to side on computer monitors set
to the 600 X 800 resolution size?

• Does the site look good and work with Netscape® and Internet
Explorer® browsers?

• Can the visitor identify what your business does or what products
you sell?

Research is clear, frustrated visitors leave difficult to navigate sites
and may not return.

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Workplace productivity killers – but first…

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This week’s blog is a potpourri. Watching last week’s baseball Hall of Fame ceremonies was inspirational. Here are just a couple of quotes. Tony LaRussa of the cardinals said he always preached, “team, tenacity and toughness.”

The Braves’ Tom Glavine thanked his parents for “setting the example” he and his siblings followed and for giving him as much time as he needed – getting him where he had to go so he could learn and play the game.
 
Joe Torre of the Yankees, Braves and Cardinals stressed to his players “It is not just ability, but also character and unselfishness.” He said he never hesitated to make phone calls on players’ behalf. “When people know your name they return your phone calls,” he said. Like LaRussa, Torre would tell his players it is about “chasing your dreams and putting the team above yourself. It takes patience and persistence.” Torre still tells young players something Hall of Famer, the late Tony Gwynn once told him: “All I ever tried to do was play the game the right way.”

There was so much more, but these highlights stood out.

Transitioning to workplace productivity, CareerBuilder lists these 10 “productivity killers”:

  • Cellphone and texting
  • Gossip
  • Internet surfing
  • Snack breaks or smoke breaks
  • Noisy co-workers
  • Meetings
  • Email
  • Co-workers dropping by
  • Co-workers putting calls on speaker phone

Nearly 75 percent of employers are taking efforts to address productivity killers in the workplace. They include:

  • Blocking certain Internet site
  • Limiting meetings
  • Monitoring emails and Internet usage
  • Restricting use of speaker phones if not is an office with a door
  • Prohibit personal calls and cellphones

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